An Abandoned SpaceX Rocket Is About to Crash Into the Moon. The Real Problem Comes Next
SMRTR summary
Early next week, an abandoned SpaceX rocket stage will slam into the moon at nearly 9,000 kilometers per hour, and almost nobody is in charge of what happens next.
Launched in January 2025, the rocket delivered two commercial lunar landers before running out of fuel. With nowhere to go, it drifted into an unstable orbit until gravity took over.
Scientists are treating the August 5th impact as a rare opportunity, expecting it to carve a 20 to 30 meter crater and kick up a cloud of lunar dust kilometers high, yielding valuable data on crater formation.
But the bigger story is governance. The moon has no environmental protections, no heritage laws, and no coordinating body with real authority. Apollo footprints could theoretically be swept away by a poorly planned future mission.
Experts say the solution isn't new laws, it's using the ones already on the books, and building practical tools like a lunar activity registry before the next accident happens.
SMRTR provides this summary for quick context. The original article belongs to Nautilus.
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