{
  "id": 1913095,
  "title": "NASA Reveals Before-And-After Images Of Crater Carved By SpaceX Rocket Impact On Moon|Watch Video",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/nasa-reveals-before-and-after-images-of-crater-carved-by-spacex",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-19T10:06:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/lifestyle/nasa-reveals-before-and-after-images-of-crater-carved-by-spacex-rocket-impact-on-moonwatch-video"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "NASA unveiled new images on Tuesday, revealing a fresh crater on the Moon's surface believed to have been formed by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket crash on August 5. The upper stage of the rocket, weighing three tons of TNT, collided with the lunar surface near Einstein Crater. The rocket's stage, left in space after a previous mission, remained in orbit for over 18 months before striking the Moon.\n\nThe images, captured by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), showcase the newly formed crater, which measures 60 feet wide and less than 10 feet deep. The LRO, a spacecraft studying the Moon since 2009, compared pre- and post-collision images to detect changes in the lunar terrain. The spacecraft had to adjust its angle to face the impact area, traveling at one mile per second at an altitude of 60 miles (96 kilometers) from the impact site.\n\nThe images reveal bright and dark rays radiating from the crater. The darker streaks consist of weathered surface dust and rocks, altered by solar wind, galactic cosmic rays, and micrometeorite impacts. These materials were excavated by the collision up to 1.5 feet into the lunar surface. Conversely, the brighter streaks near the crater rim are composed of fresh material excavated from deeper underground.",
  "summary": "NASA has released before-and-after images on Tuesday showing a newly formed crater on the Moon that scientists believe was created when a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket crashed into the lunar surface. The upper stage of the rocket collided with the Moon on August 5, hitting with a force of three tons of TNT. Rocket impact on lunar surface The rocket stage, associated with SpaceX, impacted the far side of…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 11,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "NASA Science",
        "title": "NASA’s LRO Images Falcon 9 Crater on Moon, Learns New Details",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/nasas-lro-images-falcon-9-crater-on-moon-learns-new-details",
        "published": "2026-08-18T18:49:50.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "CityNews",
        "title": "Before-and-after NASA images show crater carved by a SpaceX rocket that slammed into the moon",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/before-and-after-nasa-images-show-crater-carved-by-a-spacex-rocket-1846797",
        "published": "2026-08-18T21:39:58.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "Before-and-after NASA images show crater carved by a SpaceX rocket that slammed into the moon",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/before-and-after-nasa-images-show-crater-carved-by-a-spacex-rocket",
        "published": "2026-08-18T21:39:58.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Phys.org",
        "title": "NASA's LRO images Falcon 9 crater on moon, learns new details",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/nasas-lro-images-falcon-9-crater-on-moon-learns-new-details-1812459",
        "published": "2026-08-18T21:50:01.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Associated Press",
        "title": "Before-and-after NASA images show crater carved by a SpaceX rocket that slammed into the moon",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/before-and-after-nasa-images-show-crater-carved-by-a-spacex-rocket-1810318",
        "published": "2026-08-18T21:53:02.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "CBS News",
        "title": "NASA images show 60-foot-wide crater on moon after SpaceX rocket booster crash",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/nasa-images-show-60-foot-wide-crater-on-moon-after-spacex-rocket",
        "published": "2026-08-18T22:53:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "NASA images reveal crater left by SpaceX rocket's Moon crash",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/nasa-images-reveal-crater-left-by-spacex-rockets-moon-crash",
        "published": "2026-08-18T23:33:19.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Gulf News",
        "title": "Before-and-after NASA images show crater carved by a SpaceX rocket that slammed into the moon",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/before-and-after-nasa-images-show-crater-carved-by-a-spacex-rocket",
        "published": "2026-08-19T01:22:48.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Le Monde English",
        "title": "NASA images show crater on moon left by SpaceX rocket",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/nasa-images-show-crater-on-moon-left-by-spacex-rocket",
        "published": "2026-08-19T01:50:26.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "NDTV",
        "title": "NASA Releases Images Of Moon Crater Carved By Crashed SpaceX Rocket",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/nasa-releases-images-of-moon-crater-carved-by-crashed-spacex-rocket",
        "published": "2026-08-19T01:55:31.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}