South Korea’s Danuri lunar orbiter has observed surface changes on the Moon caused by the impact of a discarded SpaceX rocket stage, according to a report from the outlet 아이티비즈. The observation was made using the probe’s LUTI camera, the report said.
The rocket debris struck the lunar surface on August 5, 2026, at a speed of roughly 8,700 kilometers per hour, as reported by 머니투데이. The impact was equivalent to the explosive force of about three tons of TNT, according to 동아사이언스. The debris, weighing around 4.5 tons, was a spent upper stage from a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch, 뉴시스 reported.
Danuri, also known as the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter, was positioned to capture the event. The spacecraft’s LUTI (Lunar Terrain Imager) camera recorded the collision and the resulting changes to the lunar surface, per 아이티비즈. The observation marks the first time a South Korean probe has documented such an impact event in detail, according to 머니투데이.
The rocket stage had been left in orbit after completing its mission. Over time, its trajectory decayed, leading to the eventual crash on the Moon. The impact site and the extent of the surface disturbance are now being analyzed from the imagery Danuri returned, the reports indicate.
This event highlights the growing role of lunar orbiters in monitoring human-made objects in space. As more rockets and spacecraft are launched, tracking and observing such impacts becomes increasingly important for understanding how debris affects the lunar environment.
Looking ahead, researchers will likely study the LUTI images to measure the crater size and compare the data with predictions. The findings could inform future missions that need to account for similar impacts.
