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Rocket part to crash into the Moon on Wednesday

A mock-up of a spaceX upper section from a Falcon 9 rocket next to the moon. SpaceX / Getty

A leftover part of a SpaceX rocket is expected to crash into the Moon on Wednesday 5 August.

Scientists say it should hit at about 7.35am UK time, travelling at roughly 5,400 miles per hour - seven times the speed of sound.

This part of the rocket is roughly as tall as a five-storey building. Even so, most people will not be able to watch the crash from Earth.

Scientists say only powerful telescopes may have a chance of spotting the impact or the dust thrown up afterwards.

The object is the upper stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

Rockets are often built in sections, called stages. The first stage gives the rocket its first big push away from Earth. The upper stage then helps send spacecraft farther into space.

This upper stage launched in January 2025, carrying two robotic Moon landers. One, called Blue Ghost, which landed safely on the Moon in March 2025. The other, called HAKUTO-R, which tried to land in June 2025, but crashed after contact was lost shortly before touchdown.

After the rocket had sent the landers on their way, it was left in a long looping orbit around Earth. That orbit carried it far out into the area where the Moon's gravity changed its path, eventually pulling it towards a course that will see it crash onto the lunar surface.

The space junk clean-up (2018)

While scientists aren't concerned about this rocket, the Moon crash was not planned.

It is however an example of the potential risks caused by space junk - human-made objects left in space after missions - that could be hazardous to other space craft or future Moon bases.

What will happen when the rocket crashes into the Moon?

Image of the moon with a purple circle highlighting the potential crash site on the far left side as if viewing the moon from the northern hemisphere. Getty Images

The rocket part is expected to hit near Einstein Crater, close to the Moon's western edge as seen from Earth.

The Moon is about 384,000 kilometres away from Earth, so the crash will happen far from us, on the lunar surface.

But it could leave a new crater - a bowl-shaped dent made when something smashes into the ground.

Scientists think the crater could be around 27 metres wide, although the exact size is still only an estimate.

The crash is expected to happen near Einstein Crater, on the side of the Moon that faces Earth.

It may throw up dust and small pieces of rock. This is called an ejecta plume, which means material blasted out by an impact.

It's thought that powerful telescopes might be able to spot the dust, but it will not be something most people can see with ordinary binoculars.

Spacecraft already orbiting the Moon may help. Nasa's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and South Korea's Danuri orbiter are expected to take before-and-after images of the area. By comparing the pictures, scientists can learn more about how crashes change the Moon's surface.