A doomed rocket stage that is expected to crash into the moon on March 4 will not be seen by NASA.
Out of range of Earthbound telescopes, the collision is set to take place on the far side of the moon. NASA told Space.com that the LRO will not be in view of the impact zone when it happens. A follow-up set of observations is in the works.
The mission team is assessing if observations can be made to any changes to the lunar environment associated with the impact, and later identify the crater formed by the impact.
An exciting research opportunity is presented by this unique event. The mission can use its cameras to identify the impact site after the impact. The search for the impact crater will be difficult and could take weeks to months.
Lunar mystery: Who launched the rocket that will slam into the moon?
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Are you able to see the rocket stage?
Let us know if you see the rocket stage in a telescope. Comments and images can be sent to spacephotos@space.com.
The rocket stage's origin story is not clear. The Deep Space Climate Observatory satellite was launched in February 2015, but it was initially identified as a part of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
The Chinese Chang'e 5-T1 mission launched a rocket in 2014; follow-up observations showed the Falcon 9 did not match the mission. This mission was used to demonstrate technology to the Chang'e 5 mission that brought a sample of the moon back to Earth.
Several independent observations suggest that the mission is Change-5-T1, but that assertion is not completely confirmed. The country that has been criticized for space junk practices in recent years denied that the stage was from their mission.
A video shows a rocket stage slam into the moon.
Tracking data from the U.S. Space Force's 18th Space Control Squadron suggests that the Chinese stage reentered the atmosphere in 2015.
Bill Gray, the astronomer who first found the rocket stage's impact point and corrected his initial Falcon 9 misidentification, says radar data from the squadron could only track rocket stages close to Earth. Gray claims that the stage is visible in deep space using the same method as seeking asteroids.
There is a chance that LRO could find its crater.
The mission has been in the air since 2009, and has been known to find small moon sites like the Apollo landing zones. The impact sites of Apollo 16 and the moon have been found by LRO.
LRO is best known as a water hunter and high-definition mapper. NASA bases maps and exploration plans for the Artemis program on its work, which will likely be one of the keystones.
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