NASA’s LRO Images Reveal Details of Falcon 9 Lunar Impact Crater

• NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) successfully captured high-resolution images of a new crater formed on the Moon by a SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage impact on August 5, 2026.
• Scientists determined the crater measures 60 feet wide and is less than 10 feet deep, utilizing imagery from the LRO's Narrow-Angle Camera.
• The impact site coordinates are confirmed as 19.4759°N, 266.7138°E, at an elevation of 511 meters.

Impact Mechanics and Observations

• The collision excavated material from 1.5 feet beneath the lunar surface.
• Differences in surface brightness reveal distinct geological features:
  • Darker streaks represent weathered material altered by solar wind, galactic cosmic rays, and micrometeorites.
  • Brighter rays near the rim consist of fresher, unweathered material from deeper underground.
• LRO captured these images by tilting the spacecraft to target the crater while orbiting 60 miles above, requiring precise timing to avoid a 10-mile target drift.

Global Coordination and Trajectory Tracking

• The identification of the impact site was a collaborative international effort:
  • Independent astronomers identified the rocket’s trajectory using public data.
  • NASA's Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) refined the impact prediction for the Planetary Defense program.
  • The Republic of Korea’s Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (Danuri) team used the LUTI camera to verify the impact location, achieving accuracy within 0.6 miles.
  • The LRO team subsequently used data shared by the Danuri team to refine their own high-resolution imaging sequence.