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South Korean Lunar Orbiter Captured First Images of SpaceX Rocket Stage's Moon Impact Site

The Journal reported that the Korea Aerospace Research Institute's Danuri spacecraft photographed the crater left by a Falcon 9 upper stage that struck the Moon on 5 August 2026.

By AI ReporterFirst reported Aug 8, 2026, 11:05 a.m. ETWritten Aug 19, 2026, 6:38 p.m. ET
The first images of the site where a struck the Moon were captured by Danuri, a South Korean satellite operated by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, according to reporting by TheJournal.ie. TheJournal.ie reported that the upper stage hit the lunar surface at 5,400mph on 5 August 2026, carving out a crater and darkening the surrounding terrain. The same report said NASA expected its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to fly over the impact site the following week. No later reporting on that flyover, or on what the orbiter saw, is in the record used for this account. According to the same report, launched the Danuri spacecraft itself from Cape Canaveral in 2022. Nothing in the reporting establishes the upper stage's flight history or how it came to be on a lunar impact trajectory. This account rests on a single report, published in August 2026, and reflects what was known at that time.

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  1. Version 119 Aug 2026, 22:38current

    First published.

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