NASA Posts Photos Of SpaceX Falcon 9 Moon Crash crater

Rafia Tasleem | 19 Aug 2026, 11:03 AM IST | Breaking News, Science & Technology, Technology | Follow on Google News

WASHINGTON, Aug 19 [VoM News]: NASA posted recent images that display crater caused when a SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage crashed into the Moon on Aug. 5.

The images were taken on Aug. 11 and 12 by the NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), a little more than a week after the orbital path of spacecraft made the impact site visible to NASA scientists.

They calculated the hole crater on the Moon’s surface was approximately 60 ft wide with depth not more than 10 ft.

It had been part of the February 2021 rocket boost of Firefly Aerospace’s lunar lander Blue Ghost 1, which was a part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program and successfully made it to the Moon to gently land.

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Cleared for Flight by US Aviation Authority Following Mishap Investigation

NASA mentioned that it was tricky to snap photo the scene of collision since NASA orbiter was approx 60 miles above the surface and changing the camera time frame of photography by 10 seconds either left or right could mean a shift of 10 miles in object detection.

VoM News has learnt that the darker markings around the edges of the craters are explained to be rocks or lunar surface dust that has been recently exposed by breaking out impact on the material.

Brighter particles around the edge of crater show that this material came from further down the Moon’s surface.

Aiding NASA in pinpointing the collision’s location were scientists using images taken by the Danuri lunar orbiter that had recently been launched by South Korea.

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Rafia Tasleem

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Rafia Tasleem is a seasoned journalist from Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, recognized for her expertise in content writing, investigative research, fact-based reporting, strategic media planning, presentation and lot more. With experience working for both national and international news organizations, she brings a deep understanding of media dynamics. Holding a Master’s in Communication and Media Studies from Aligarh Muslim University, she has been contributing to VoM News for the past two years. For inquiries, contact rafiatasleem@vomnews.in

NASA Posts Photos Of SpaceX Falcon 9 Moon Crash crater

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