Overview
- NASA's Center for Near‑Earth Object Studies confirmed that the Falcon 9 second stage tracked as 2025-010D is on a collision course to hit the Moon on Wednesday, 5 August, at about 03:35 Brasília time near Einstein Crater.
- The object is roughly 12 meters long, weighs about 4,000 kg on Earth and will strike at roughly 2.43 km/s (about 8,700 km/h).
- Observers expect a crater larger than 17 meters, a dust plume that could reach about 50 km high and a brief flash that may be seen with powerful telescopes; NASA says there is no danger to Earth.
- NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, South Korea's Danuri, large ground telescopes and organized amateur observers are scheduling coordinated measurements to capture the flash, plume and the new crater for later study.
- The event offers a rare controlled test of impact physics because the object's parameters are known and it also highlights growing concerns about abandoned rocket stages and orbital debris, which may prompt calls for stronger mitigation and mission‑design rules.