The Falcon 9 upper stage of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket is set to collide with the moon at approximately 5,400 mph, causing a new crater and sending a plume of dust and rock into space. The collision is expected to pose no threat to Earth but offer a rare opportunity to study how impacts affect the lunar surface. NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and South Korea's Danuri lunar orbiter are expected to capture images of the impact site before and after the crash. The impact, which occurred near Einstein Crater on the moon's western limb, could create an impact crater nearly 90 feet across and 16 feet deep. The time of impact is approximately 06:35 UTC on August 5, 2026 (11:35 p.m. PDT on Tuesday, August 4), according to astronomer Bill Gray and a recent observational planning paper led by Benjamin Fernando. The Falcon 9 was not intended to hit the moon and could have been avoided if the spent upper stage had been directed into an orbit around the sun after completing its mission.