Abandoned SpaceX Rocket on Course to Impact the Moon

A discarded SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stage is set to strike the lunar surface on August 5, 2026, traveling at an estimated speed of 8,700 km/h, according to reports from Vietnam.vn and Notebookcheck.nl.

An Unplanned Lunar Collision

The event is an unplanned impact. Reporting from NU and NOS Jeugdjournaal indicates the rocket stage was decommissioned and is now on a trajectory leading directly to the moon.

It is a matter of orbital mechanics. When a rocket stage is not disposed of via a controlled atmospheric reentry or a stable graveyard orbit, the gravitational pull of the Earth and Moon can drag the object into a collision course.

The Fate of the Falcon 9 Second Stage

The Falcon 9 is a partially reusable system developed by SpaceX. Typically, the first stage returns to Earth for refurbishment. The second stage, however, is spent during payload delivery into orbit. In this specific case, that spent stage remained in a trajectory that intersects with the moon’s path.

Kinetic Energy and Total Destruction

The collision will occur on August 5, marking the end of the rocket’s drift phase, according to Spacepage.

The impact speed of 8,700 km/h ensures a high-velocity collision. Because the moon lacks an atmosphere to slow the object down, the resulting kinetic energy will cause the component to shatter and vaporize upon contact with the lunar regolith. The rocket stage will be totally destroyed.