South Korean orbiter captures Falcon 9 impact crater on the Moon

South Korea's Danuri orbiter photographed the new lunar crater from a Falcon 9 stage impact on August 5, 2026, capturing before-and-after images of the site. The four-ton stage hit near the Einstein and Bell craters at about 2.43 km/s, releasing roughly 11.5 billion joules. Danuri conducted eight imaging passes around the site. NASA had predicted a crater about 18 meters wide. Launched in January 2025 with two private landers, the spent stage orbited Earth for over a year before lunar gravity pulled it onto a collision course. European telescopes detected rocket-specific lithium in impact dust.