Spent Falcon 9 upper stage from 2025 lunar mission set to crash into Moon in 2026

A discarded Falcon 9 upper stage is projected to strike the Moon on August 5, 2026, according to researchers tracking the object. The stage, weighing roughly four metric tons, remains from the January 15, 2025 launch that sent Firefly's Blue Ghost-1 lander toward the Moon. The hardware is expected to hit the lunar surface at more than two kilometers per second. Experts studying its trajectory say the impact could occur near the Einstein crater on the Moon's western limb or at the Belkovich crater on the far side. NASA's Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute convened a session for scientists to examine the upcoming event. Brian Day, who took part in the meeting, noted that the Moon is continually reshaped by impacts and is far from static. The agency has invited citizen scientists through its Impact Flash program to observe the collision using their own equipment. No additional details about the planned observation campaign were immediately available.