Chinese satellite captures video of SpaceX rocket debris crashing into the moon

On Wednesday, a newly launched Chinese satellite, Gande-1 01, successfully captured video footage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket upper stage impacting the moon. The company behind the satellite, ATmoto Technology, stated that the event served as "proof of ability" for their space-based situational awareness system. The upper stage, roughly the size of a bus, was from a commercial launch in January last year that failed to de-orbit correctly.

It drifted into a trajectory that intersected the moon, eventually crashing near the Einstein crater. ATmoto, in partnership with Liangxi Aerospace Technology Group, operates the first in a planned 120-satellite space debris monitoring constellation. The satellite, equipped with a high-resolution camera and AI-based computer, tracked the debris and estimated the time and location of impact.

The impact occurred at approximately 8,712km/h, creating a crater around 20 to 30 metres in diameter. However, the trace left on the lunar surface was less visible than anticipated. NASA had planned to monitor the impact through its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and ShadowCam instrument on the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter. The event provided valuable data for understanding lunar impacts and the behavior of material ejected from the moon's surface.