Danuri Images Confirm SpaceX Moon Crash Crater
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- Danuri lunar orbiter captured before-and-after images of the moon's surface, revealing a new impact crater from a SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage that struck near Einstein crater on 5 August
- SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage, a 14-meter-long, 4,000-kilogram object launched in January 2023, hit the moon at approximately 8,700 km/h without controlled descent
- Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) shared the images on X and confirmed the impact site, while warning the public that viral videos claiming to show the crash are fake
- NASA had predicted the impact would create an 18-meter-wide, 4-meter-deep crater and will follow up with its own lunar orbiter imagery in the coming weeks
- David Rothery of the Open University noted the crater is scientifically insignificant given the moon’s natural cratering rate, with several similar impacts occurring per decade
- Rita Schulz of the International Astronomical Union stated that spacecraft impact sites cannot receive official names, especially not after living individuals like Elon Musk
Why it matters: The confirmation of the SpaceX impact site provides rare visual evidence of human-made lunar collisions, but underscores that such events remain scientifically minor and ineligible for formal recognition. The refusal to name the crater after Elon Musk reinforces long-standing astronomical naming conventions tied to natural features and deceased individuals.
