Scientists Hope the Strike Will Help Them Understand More About Impacts and Risks From Space Debris

The piece, part of the rocket's upper portion and about the size of a five-story building, was part of the Falcon 9 that carried two lunar landers and scientific instruments to the moon in January 2025. It is expected to hit a sunlit side of the moon facing Earth, partially illuminated, in the northwestern portion near the Einstein Crater, and could leave a crater at least 17 meters in diameter, Gray said. SpaceX did not intend for the defunct piece to hit the moon, according to the Associated Press; NPR reached out to SpaceX for comment but has not received a response. Brent Garry, a project scientist for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, said the orbiter will pass over the region before and after the impact to assess surface changes, with additional targeting possible about a week after the impact.