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

August 18, 2026

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

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) – A NASA spacecraft circling the moon is providing the sharpest views yet of the crater carved by a crashing SpaceX rocket.

The space agency released before-and-after photos of the impact area on Tuesday.

The Falcon rocket's upper stage plowed into the moon at 5,400 mph (8,700 kph) on August 5 after drifting through space for more than a year. It launched a pair of private moon landers with experiments and even a tiny rover in 2025 as part of NASA's push to commercialize lunar exploration.