Key facts
- South Korea's space agency KASA released images of the Moon after a SpaceX rocket debris crash.
- The impact occurred on Wednesday at approximately 06:35 GMT.
- The lunar orbiter Danubri captured the images.
- The upper stage of a Falcon 9 rocket, weighing about 4,000kg, struck the Moon.
- Astronomers raised concerns about the growing problem of space debris.
South Korea's space agency, KASA, has released images showing the Moon's surface following the impact of a SpaceX rocket's upper stage. The debris struck the Moon on Wednesday at approximately 06:35 GMT, captured by the lunar orbiter Danubri. KASA shared these images alongside previous photos, illustrating the impact site.
The Falcon 9 rocket's spent upper stage, described as being about the size of a five-storey building and weighing around 4,000kg, hit the Moon at an estimated speed of 5,400mph. SpaceX stated the impact was unintentional. This particular rocket stage had been in orbit since January of the previous year.
Astronomers, including Matt Bothwell from the University of Cambridge, have voiced concerns about the increasing amount of space debris. Bothwell warned that the growing congestion in space could make it difficult to navigate Earth's orbit within a few decades.
The rocket's trajectory towards the Moon was influenced over 18 months by the gravitational pull of the Earth, Moon, and Sun, along with solar light. While the impact itself did not pose a threat to Earth, the small flash created was too faint to be observed by amateur astronomers.