A SpaceX rocket slammed into the moon this month — and a NASA spacecraft has spotted its lunar grave (photos)

The box in this image highlights two small craters. The lower crater formed on Aug. 5, 2026 when a SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage impacted the moon. The inset shows details of the new crater, enlarged three times. This image was captured by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter on Aug. 11, 2026 as it passed over the site at an altitude of 56 miles (90 kilometers).

NASA's veteran moon-circling spacecraft, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), has imaged the impact site of that errant Falcon 9 upper stage.

The photos were taken on Aug. 11 and Aug. 12, just a few days after the SpaceX rocket body slammed into the moon near Einstein Crater at 5,400 mph (8,690 kph).