A discarded SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which launched from Kennedy Space Center’s Pad 39A on Jan. 15, 2025, is heading toward the moon. The rocket, which carried a pair of lunar landers for a commercial mission, is now drifting in space and expected to slam into the moon later this year. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory confirmed the trajectory Monday, citing orbital calculations from the U.S. Space Command.
The rocket’s first stage, which separated shortly after liftoff, is no longer under control. SpaceX did not comment on the moon collision, but officials said the risk to spacecraft or astronauts is low because the impact is expected to occur in a remote, unexplored region of the lunar surface. The moon’s far side, where the collision is predicted, has no human infrastructure.
The Falcon 9’s mission, managed by Astrobotic Technology Inc., aimed to deliver scientific payloads to the moon. The rocket’s second stage and payload successfully entered lunar orbit, but the first stage—now a piece of space debris—has been following its own path. Experts say such uncontrolled reentries are becoming more common as commercial spaceflight accelerates.
Local astronomers in Brevard County say the event highlights the growing challenge of space debris. ‘We’re seeing more objects like this,’ said Dr. Emily Carter, an astrophysicist at the Florida Institute of Technology. ‘It’s a reminder that even after missions end, the hardware doesn’t just disappear.’
The moon collision will not be visible from Earth, but the event will be logged by tracking systems. NASA and SpaceX have not announced plans to alter the rocket’s path, citing the lack of immediate danger and the difficulty of intercepting such a fast-moving object.