S. Korea's Danuri orbiter successfully films moon collision of SpaceX rocket

South Korea's pioneering lunar orbiter, Danuri, successfully captured footage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket's debris colliding with the moon on Wednesday, according to the Korea Aerospace Agency (KASA). The upper section of the rocket made impact near the Einstein Crater at 3:34 p.m. KASA's images depict a dark shadow and radial shape emerging on the lunar surface from the moment of impact. Geomorphological changes were also noted around the collision site, the agency reported.

This observation represents a significant examination of the entire process of a man-made object colliding with the moon's surface from lunar orbit, KASA explained. Danuri was able to record images of both before and after the collision, providing scientists with valuable data to analyze the changes in the lunar surface caused by the impact. These observations will also serve as crucial data for NASA's upcoming Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter probe to the impact site in the near future.