NASA estimates the size of the hole SpaceX made in the moon

NASA has utilized its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) to capture images of the damage left behind by a SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage on the moon. The incident occurred in August 2025 when private aerospace companies Firefly and ispace hired a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket for their respective space missions, Blue Ghost Mission 1 and RESILIENCE.

The upper stage of the Falcon 9, however, did not survive the journey to the moon, colliding with Earth's only natural satellite in early August. South Korea's space agency managed to capture a few photographs of the event, and NASA subsequently shared some of these images. Four of these images, each taken from a different perspective, were shared on Tuesday.

According to crater experts, the Falcon 9 created a 60-foot-wide and 10-foot-deep (18m x 3m) hole on the lunar surface. The darker region surrounding the crater in the upper-left image is rougher compared to its surroundings, as the surface material has been altered over time by solar wind, galactic cosmic rays, and micrometeorite impacts.

Conversely, the brighter rays and splotch above the crater in the lower-right image are more recent material that was excavated from deeper beneath the surface. Additionally, another SpaceX component, the Starship used in its 13th test flight, has been discovered on Christmas Island, an Australian territory. The recovery team of SpaceX towed the spacecraft to Christmas Island to benefit from the calm waters nearby, allowing engineers to conduct additional post-flight analysis. SpaceX aims to return the Starship to its Texas Starbase for further examination.