SpaceX Moon Crash

This combo made with photos provided by NASA on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, shows before, left, and after images of a fresh crater on the moon created by a collision with a SpaceX rocket.

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Before-and-after NASA images show crater carved by a SpaceX rocket that slammed into the moon

Before-and-after NASA images show crater carved by a SpaceX rocket that slammed into the moon

A NASA spacecraft circling the moon is providing the sharpest views yet of the crater carved by a crashing SpaceX rocket. The space agency on Tuesday released before-and-after photos of the impact area. The Falcon rocket's upper stage plowed into the moon two weeks ago after drifting through space for more than a year. It launched a pair of private moon landers in 2025 as part of NASA's push to commercialize lunar exploration. Scientists say based on these new photos, the fresh crater appears to be 60 feet across and less than 10 feet deep.