SpaceX的一枚Falcon 9火箭上面级预计将于8月5日撞击月球，撞击地点在爱因斯坦陨石坑附近[1]。这枚火箭上面级将以每秒2.43公里的速度与月球表面相撞[1]，撞击速度相当于每小时5400英里[1]。该上面级重量至少4000公斤，体积约五层楼高[1]，预计将在月球表面产生直径超过17米的撞击坑[1]。
这枚火箭来自2025年1月的发射任务，其原本用于运送月球着陆器[1]。虽然这是一次意外的碰撞事件，但美国航空航天局发言人吉米·罗素表示"地球不存在任何危险"[1]。科学家计划利用大型望远镜和探测器观测撞击过程，以研究月球撞击物理和太空碎片问题[1]。
根据欧洲航天局的统计，太空中超过10厘米的物体约有54000个[1]。自1957年以来，人类已向太空发射约17000吨物体[1]。此次事件并非火箭首次撞击月球，上一次事件发生于2022年，当时中国长征3C火箭撞击了月球[1]。
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket upper stage is scheduled to collide with the Moon on August 5 at 02:35 EDT (06:35 GMT), traveling at approximately 2.43 kilometers per second, or 5,400 miles per hour [1]. The impact will occur near the Einstein crater, with the rocket stage weighing at least 4,000 kilograms and measuring roughly the height of a five-story building [1]. NASA has confirmed that the collision poses no danger to Earth [1].
The unintended collision stems from a January 2025 SpaceX launch that deployed a lunar lander [1]. Scientists plan to observe the impact using large telescopes and space probes to study lunar impact physics and debris generation [1]. The impact crater is expected to exceed 17 meters in diameter [1].
This incident highlights growing concerns about space debris; the European Space Agency estimates that over 54,000 objects larger than 10 centimeters currently orbit Earth [1]. Since 1957, humanity has launched approximately 17,000 tons of material into space [1]. The last recorded rocket collision with the Moon occurred in 2022 when China's Long March 3C rocket struck the lunar surface [1].