South Korean satellite captures before and after views of SpaceX rocket's moon crash
- A South Korean satellite captured images of the moon's surface before and after a SpaceX rocket segment crashed into it.
- The crash occurred at a speed of 5,400 mph on August 5, 2026, after the rocket drifted off course for a year.
- The Korea Aerospace Research Institute's Danuri spacecraft provided the first pictures of the impact site, showing a darker area where the rocket hit.
- NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is expected to fly over the crash site next week for further observation.
A South Korean satellite has captured the first images of the moon's surface following a collision with a stray SpaceX rocket segment. The impact occurred at a speed of 5,400 mph on August 5, 2026, after the rocket had drifted off course for approximately a year due to solar activity and gravity.
The Korea Aerospace Research Institute's Danuri spacecraft flew over the crash site shortly after the incident, taking multiple photos from lunar orbit. These images reveal a noticeably darker area where the rocket struck, indicating the creation of a new crater and the dispersal of dust and rock.
NASA is expected to send its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to the crash site next week to further assess the aftermath of the collision. The Danuri spacecraft was launched by SpaceX from Cape Canaveral in 2022, and the upper stage that crashed into the moon was part of that mission.
韩国卫星捕捉到SpaceX火箭撞月前后的影像
一颗韩国卫星捕捉到了SpaceX火箭段撞击月球后的第一张影像。此次撞击发生在2026年8月5日，速度为5400英里每小时，火箭在漂移约一年后因太阳活动和重力影响而发生碰撞。
韩国航空航天研究院的Danuri航天器在事件发生后不久飞越了撞击现场，从月球轨道拍摄了多张照片。这些影像显示出火箭撞击后形成的新陨石坑，撞击区域明显变暗，表明尘埃和岩石被散布开来。
美国宇航局预计将在下周派遣月球勘测轨道器前往撞击现场，进一步评估碰撞的后果。Danuri航天器是SpaceX于2022年从卡纳维拉尔角发射的，撞击月球的上级火箭段正是该任务的一部分。