An astronomer predicts a Falcon 9 rocket stage will collide with the Moon at
5,400 miles per hour on
August 5, specifically at
2:44 AM EDT. The impact location is expected to be near the
Einstein crater, potentially creating a new crater.
The Falcon 9 upper stage, previously involved in launching lunar landers, has been in orbit for over a year. Gray's predictions come with a history of accuracy, as noted by his successful forecast of a prior Moon impact last year. He emphasizes that the event poses no threat:
“There is very little risk from the impact – there are no humans on or around the Moon”.
The speed at which the rocket will hit translates to
1.51 miles per second or
seven times the speed of sound on Earth. While it will likely remain invisible to Earth watchers due to the impact's location on the Moon's
western limb, it raises issues regarding space debris management.
“It highlights a certain carelessness about how leftover space hardware is disposed of,” Gray remarked, reflecting a growing concern shared by experts globally.
John Crassidis, from the University at Buffalo, warns that the future could see an escalating debris field around the Moon due to increasing human-made objects in orbit. This incident underscores the urgency for proper space junk removal methods as lunar exploration expands.
Sources: 
An astronomer predicts that a discarded Falcon 9 rocket booster will crash into the Moon at a velocity of 1.51 miles per second on August 5, striking near the Einstein crater. The impact will occur at 2:44 AM EDT, likely creating a new lunar crater without posing any threat to Earth or nearby spacecraft.
