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[Regnum] Images of a lunar crater after the impact of the second stage of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket have become publicly available. This was reported on NASA's website on August 18.
The object crashed into the surface of Earth's satellite on August 5. Amateur astronomers initially calculated the trajectory, after which NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies tested impact prediction methods on the event. Experts searched for the exact impact site for six days. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter took images on August 11 and 12. Using images from various angles, scientists determined the crater's dimensions. Its diameter is approximately 18 meters, and its depth does not exceed 3 meters. The images show bright and dark rays of rock and centuries-old cosmic dust.
Experts previously reported an imminent collision between a four-ton object and the Moon traveling at 8,700 km/h. According to the BBC, the debris belonged to a Falcon 9 rocket, which launched on January 15, 2025. The launch vehicle successfully launched the commercial lunar probes Blue Ghost and Resilience into space. The empty upper stage remained in deep space due to its high trajectory and lack of fuel. As a result, the object drifted in a chaotic orbit for 19 months until the Moon's gravity finally pulled it toward the surface.
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