Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
Coverage of Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter in the Nexus archive.
- SpaceX rocket slammed into moon as planned, scientists say
A SpaceX rocket is believed to have collided with the moon near the Einstein Crater after drifting off course for a year. Scientists confirmed the impact indirectly through debris observed by a Chilean telescope, though no direct images were captured. The collision was accidental, caused by solar activity and gravity, and raises concerns about increasing space debris.
- A dead SpaceX rocket that’s been adrift for over a year is about to slam into the moon, carving out a new crater with the equivalent of 3 tons of TNT
A SpaceX rocket upper stage, drifting since 2025, is set to collide with the moon at 5,400 mph near Einstein Crater, creating a crater equivalent to 3 tons of TNT. Scientists will observe the impact to study debris hazards for future lunar missions, as this marks the second accidental rocket crash on the moon after a 2022 Chinese rocket incident.
- A discarded SpaceX rocket is on a high-speed collision course with the moon
A SpaceX rocket's upper stage is unintentionally set to collide with the moon at 5,400 mph, creating a crater near Einstein Crater. Scientists will observe the impact to study debris hazards for future lunar missions, with NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and South Korea's Danuri orbiter capturing before-and-after images.
- A discarded SpaceX rocket is on a high-speed collision course with the moon
A SpaceX rocket's upper stage is on a collision course with the moon, impacting near Einstein Crater at 5,400 mph. The event, unintentional and similar to a 2022 Chinese rocket incident, will be observed by scientists to study debris hazards for future lunar missions. The rocket previously launched two lunar landers, one successful and one failed.
- A discarded SpaceX rocket is on a high-speed collision course with the moon
A SpaceX rocket's upper stage is on a collision course with the moon's near side, creating a crater and dust plume visible via telescopes. This event, occurring at 5,400 mph near Einstein Crater, is the second known accidental lunar impact by a discarded rocket, following a 2022 Chinese rocket incident. Scientists will analyze the debris hazard using NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and South Korea's Danuri.
- Far above the Earth, NASA's Apollo lunar lander put astronauts on the moon
NASA's Apollo program used lunar landers to put 12 astronauts on the moon, starting with Apollo 11's Eagle module in 1969. The descent stages of these landers remain on the moon, while private companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin are developing new lunar landers for NASA's Artemis program, aiming for a return to the moon by 2028.