SpaceX fragment crashes into Moon, worsening space debris problem

A four-ton SpaceX rocket fragment crashed into the Moon, the European Southern Observatory confirmed, highlighting growing space debris pollution on Earth's satellite. Using the Very Large Telescope in Chile, scientists detected spectral lines from the impact. Such collisions are rare but may increase; NASA plans photos of the new crater. The Falcon 9 upper stage, launched in 2025, hit at 8,690 km/h after straying off course. Around 46,000 tracked debris pieces orbit Earth.