Out-of-control SpaceX rocket on collision course with moon

The rocket is on a collision course with the moon after seven years in space.

The booster was launched from Florida in February of 2015 as part of a mission to send a space weather satellite on a million-mile journey.

After a long burn of its engines and sending the Deep Space Climate Observatory on its way to the Lagrange point, it is now a gravity neutral position four times further than the moon.

It was high enough that it didn't have enough fuel to return to Earth's atmosphere, but it didn't have enough energy to escape the gravity of the Earth-Moon system.

Since February 2015, it has been following a somewhat chaotic path.

The rocket is on its way to intersect with the moon at a speed of 2.58 km/s in a matter of weeks, according to space observers.

Bill Gray, who writes software to track near-Earth objects, asteroids, minor planets, and comets, has said that the upper stage of the Falcon 9 will likely hit the far side of the moon on 4 March.

The data analyst said in a recent post that the object made a close lunar flyby on January 5, but will make an impact on March 4.

This is the first case of space junk hitting the moon that I am aware of.

The exact spot the rocket will hit remains unclear due to the unpredictable effect of sunlight on the rocket and the measurement of rotation periods.

The effects are very small. Between now and March 4, further observations are needed to refine the precise time and location of the impact.

Gray says that the collision will probably not be seen from Earth.

The impact occurs a couple of days after New Moon because the bulk of the moon is in the way.

The impact was due on 4 March but was not a big deal according to Jonathan McDowell.

For those asking: yes, an old Falcon 9 second stage left in high orbit in 2015 is going to hit the moon on March 4. It's interesting, but not a big deal.

— Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589) January 25, 2022

Space enthusiasts think the impact could provide valuable data.

Berger thinks the event will allow for observation of the material ejected by the rocket, while Gray thinks it will allow for a lunar impact.

We already know what happens when junk hits the Earth, so there isn't much to learn from that.