South Korean satellite spots SpaceX lunar impact
Before and after shots of Elon's ejecta snapped by Danuri
The South Korean space agency, KASA, has captured images of SpaceX's lunar impact using its Danuri lunar orbiter. The crash occurred on August 5, marking SpaceX's uncrewed landing on the Moon ahead of schedule. The impact site was revealed on August 6, coinciding with the fourth anniversary of Danuri's launch. The upper stage of the Falcon 9 rocket, used for Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost Mission 1 and ispace's RESILIENCE missions, collided with the lunar surface.
SpaceX acknowledged the rarity of such impacts with objects in lunar orbits and the lack of control over controlled disposal maneuvers. NASA, which intentionally crashes spent stages into the Moon for seismic research, noted that meteoroids strike the lunar surface hourly, with comparable impacts occurring roughly every six days.
The incident underscores the need for rules in lunar space usage to prevent an uncontrolled buildup of debris. NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is also capturing the impact, with more images expected over the coming week.
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