Fears for future of space travel after 5,400mph SpaceX rocket smash on Moon – as world awaits first pics of crash site

SCIENTISTS fear the future of space travel could be at risk after a SpaceX rocket crashed into the Moon. A school bus-sized section of the Falcon 9 rocket was due to slam into the lunar surface near the Einstein crater at around 5,400mph on Wednesday. Part of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket crashed into the surface of the Moon Credit: Reuters The collision was very difficult to observe from Earth Credit: Getty The impact is thought to have unleashed an explosion equivalent to three tonnes of TNT, creating a 100ft wide crater. Jenifer Millard, Astronomer, Fifth Star Labs said the collision was a “red flag for what’s going on up there.” Sign up for the Tech newsletter Thank you! She told the BBC: “We’re at the dawn of the second space age, and in a few years’ time the idea for astronauts is to go back to the Moon and stay.” NASA is rolling out a $20billion roadmap to build a permanent lunar base which will eventually host astronauts for extended stays. The Falcon 9 rocket is made up of parts which can be returned to Earth Credit: Alamy Scientists have warned that space debris poses significant risks. Credit: Alamy Jenifer said: “It’s not these little few-day jollies that we had in the days of Apollo. We’re talking about missions that will last weeks, and eventually months. “So imagine that, then imagine if there was an out-of-control rocket body which we can’t change where it’s going to land. “Imagine if that was to hit a crewed lunar base, or if it was to hit somewhere historical, like one of the Apollo sites, or maybe some sensitive equipment, or if the blast zone damaged some scientific equipment or habitation pod.” It could take weeks before the full scale of the damage becomes clear, with major observatories around the globe scrambling to catch a glimpse. Most read in Tech SpaceX‘s Falcon 9 is a reusable rocket designed to return much of its hardware safely to Earth after launch. While its first stage lands back on Earth, other components are left to float in space. It took off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and was carrying Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lunar lander and another one from ispace, a Japanese firm. The Blue Ghost successfully touched down on the Moon in March 2025 but the other lander was wrecked. The abandoned 45ft rocket part that helped it blast off into space was supposed to have fallen off and later be burned up in the Earth’s atmosphere. Over the following 18 months, the Moon’s gravity gradually pulled the rocket fragment into a fatal descent before it smashed into the surface. South Korea‘s Danuri lunar orbiter captured images of the impact, but said the footage will not be released until scientists complete their analysis. Researchers now eagerly await those images because the crash provides a rare scientific opportunity. With the rocket’s size, speed and impact location already known, the collision effectively becomes a controlled experiment. But some experts warn the crash also highlights a growing problem with space debris. Professor Hugh Lewis said tighter regulation is needed before similar incidents threaten astronauts or critical infrastructure. He warned that if the Moon “becomes a true destination for us”, it will require extensive orbital infrastructure and a steady flow of missions between Earth and the lunar surface. “We could see these kinds of events happening again in the future, then they would potentially be posing risks to human life, to infrastructure that’s there, to science,” he said. Lewis stressed that this latest impact posed no danger to the Moon itself. But, he warned that future uncontrolled crashes could eventually jeopardise lunar operations and make it harder to land safely. The collision is believed to be the second of its kind in history. In 2022, a Chinese rocket segment left two craters on the Moon’s far side after an accidental strike. Comment now