South Korean satellite captures before and after views of SpaceX rocket's moon crash
- A South Korean satellite, Danuri, 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 and was predicted by scientists.
- The impact site shows a noticeably darker terrain where the rocket hit, creating a crater and scattering dust and rocks.
- NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is expected to fly over the crash site next week to assess the aftermath.
A South Korean satellite has captured the first images of the moon's surface following a crash caused by a stray SpaceX rocket segment. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute's Danuri spacecraft flew over the impact site shortly after the Falcon 9 upper stage collided with the moon on Wednesday.
The images show a noticeable change in the terrain, with the area where the rocket hit appearing darker and a crater formed from the impact. Danuri made multiple passes to document the scene, and the photos were released by the space agency on Thursday.
NASA plans to send its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to the crash site next week to further analyze the aftermath of the collision. The upper stage of the rocket, which was launched in 2022, ended up on a collision course with the moon due to solar activity and gravitational forces.
韩国卫星捕捉到SpaceX火箭撞月前后的画面
一颗韩国卫星捕捉到了SpaceX火箭段撞击月球后的首批图像。韩国航空航天研究院的Danuri航天器在周三Falcon 9上级段与月球相撞后不久飞越了撞击地点。
图像显示地形发生了明显变化，火箭撞击的位置显得更暗，并形成了一个陨石坑。Danuri进行了多次飞越以记录这一场景，照片于周四由航天机构发布。
NASA计划在下周派遣其月球勘测轨道器前往撞击地点，进一步分析碰撞的后果。该火箭的上级段于2022年发射，最终由于太阳活动和引力作用进入了与月球的碰撞轨道。