SpaceX rocket debris strikes the Moon in rare accidental impact

A four-tonne spent SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage — the uncrewed section left after launch — hit the Moon near Einstein Crater on 5 August 2026 at 06:35 UTC, travelling 8,700 km/h. The impact carried the force of three tonnes of TNT. Orbiting spacecraft observed the debris plume. It is only the second known case of discarded rocket hardware accidentally striking the lunar surface.