The SpaceX Falcon Lunar Crash Is a Warning for Moon Bases
The risk of more debris hitting the moon is on the rise as the space race heats up.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, designed to impact the lunar surface, poses a warning for future moon bases, according to a recent study. The upper stage of the rocket, weighing 4 metric tons, is expected to crash at approximately 5,400 mph, causing an explosion equivalent to 3 metric tons of TNT. This impact could create a crater up to 27 meters wide and 5 meters deep.
The crash is slated for around 6:34 am UTC on Wednesday, potentially near Einstein Crater on the moon's near side. While not visible to the naked eye, viewers with a good telescope may observe the debris plume. This crash is not the first; a Chinese Long March 3C rocket struck the lunar surface in March 2022, leaving a 29-meter-wide crater.
Multiple countries are planning uncrewed lunar missions, which could complicate the lunar environment. A study led by Benjamin Fernando of Los Alamos National Laboratory highlights the need to understand the risks posed by such impact events to future lunar infrastructure and astronauts. With more astronauts and lunar habitats planned for the coming years, researchers are looking into the direct and indirect hazards that these events could pose.
Written by urgent.news from Wired's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
