NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has captured high-resolution images of a crater on the Moon created by a SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage impact.
Key facts
- •The Falcon 9 upper stage impacted the Moon on Aug. 5, 2026.
- •The resulting crater measures 60 feet wide and less than 10 feet deep.
- •NASA’s LRO captured the images from an altitude of approximately 60 miles.
- •The impact site was confirmed at 19.4759°N, 266.7138°E.
- •The Danuri mission's initial imaging helped NASA refine the LRO's targeting.
NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) captured images of a new lunar crater between Aug. 11 and 12, 2026. The crater was formed on Aug. 5, 2026, when a SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage impacted the Moon’s surface following the January 2025 launch of the Firefly Blue Ghost 1 mission.
By the numbers
Imaging the Impact Site
To photograph the crater, engineers tilted the LRO spacecraft to point its Narrow-Angle Camera toward the site as it passed 60 miles above the Moon. Because the orbiter circles the Moon every two hours, the team had to wait six days for the specific location to rotate into view. Precise timing was required, as a 10-second deviation would cause the target to drift 10 miles off-center.
Crater Characteristics and Analysis
Scientists analyzed the images under various lighting conditions to determine the crater's dimensions, measuring a 60-foot width and a depth of less than 10 feet. The impact revealed both weathered surface material, altered by solar wind and micrometeorites, and fresher material excavated from deeper underground. The final coordinates for the crater were identified as 19.4759°N, 266.7138°E at an elevation of 511 meters.
Global Coordination and Prediction
The impact site was located through collaboration between independent astronomers, NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies, and the Republic of Korea’s Danuri mission. NASA provided trajectory data to the Danuri team, whose high-resolution camera confirmed the impact location within 0.6 miles of the prediction. This data was then used to refine the LRO’s follow-up imaging sequence.
Timeline
- January 2025The Falcon 9 upper stage launched the Firefly Blue Ghost 1 mission.
- Aug. 5, 2026The Falcon 9 upper stage impacted the surface of the Moon.
- Aug. 11–12, 2026NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter captured images of the new crater.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by NASA Breaking News.
