SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stage to crash into moon in August

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stage is on course to collide with the moon in early August, according to astronomers tracking the debris. The rocket's upper stage, which launched in 2015, has been drifting unpredictably in space for over seven years and is now expected to impact the lunar surface on August 5.

The defunct rocket component will hit the far side of the moon, meaning the event will not be visible from Earth. No people or active spacecraft are at risk, but the crash could provide valuable data for scientists studying lunar geology and the effects of impacts.

This incident highlights the growing problem of space debris and the need for better tracking of objects in orbit. While rocket stages have hit the moon before, this is one of the few cases where the impact was predicted in advance.

The Falcon 9 launched in February 2015 carrying the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) satellite for NOAA. After deploying the satellite, the upper stage was left in a high-altitude orbit and has been subject to gravitational perturbations from the Earth, moon, and sun.

Astronomer Bill Gray, who operates the Project Pluto software used to track near-Earth objects, first identified the impending collision. He noted that the rocket stage's orbit was chaotic and difficult to predict, but the impact is now considered certain.

SpaceX has not commented on the upcoming crash. The event is not expected to pose any threat to future lunar missions, but it underscores the need for international guidelines to mitigate space debris.