South Korean satellite captures before and after views of SpaceX rocket's moon crash
- A South Korean satellite has captured images of the moon's surface following a collision with a SpaceX rocket segment.
- The Falcon 9 upper stage crashed into the moon at a speed of 5,400 mph after drifting off course for a year.
- The crash site shows a noticeably darker terrain where the rocket impacted, creating a crater and scattering dust and rock.
A South Korean satellite has captured the first images of the moon's surface after a stray SpaceX rocket segment collided with it. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute's Danuri spacecraft flew over the impact site shortly after the crash occurred on Wednesday.
The collision, which took place at a speed of 5,400 mph, was caused by the upper stage of a Falcon 9 rocket that had drifted off course due to solar activity and gravity. The terrain at the crash site is noticeably darker where the rocket hit, creating a crater and scattering debris.
NASA expects its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to fly over the crash site next week to further assess the aftermath of the impact. The Danuri spacecraft, launched by SpaceX in 2022, made multiple passes to capture before and after images of the site.
韩国卫星捕捉到SpaceX火箭撞击月球前后的影像
一颗韩国卫星捕捉到了SpaceX火箭残骸撞击月球后的影像。韩国航空航天研究院的Danuri航天器在撞击发生后不久飞越了撞击地点。
这次撞击发生在5400英里每小时的速度，是由于Falcon 9火箭的上级阶段因太阳活动和引力漂移而导致的。撞击地点的地形明显变暗，形成了一个陨石坑并散布了碎片。
美国宇航局预计其月球勘测轨道器将在下周飞越撞击地点，以进一步评估撞击的后果。Danuri航天器于2022年由SpaceX发射，进行了多次飞越以捕捉该地点的前后影像。