Here Are the First Images of the Crater Left on the Moon by SpaceX’s Rocket

SpaceX 火箭撞击月球后留下的陨石坑首批照片公布

The first images of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stage impact on the moon’s surface have emerged. SpaceX 猎鹰 9 号火箭二级残骸撞击月球表面后的首批照片已经公布。

The Korea Aerospace Research Institute shared the first photographs captured by its lunar orbiter. South Korea is one of the few nations that currently has satellites traveling around the moon at an altitude of 62 miles (100 kilometers) above the surface. The Danuri orbiter flew over the region shortly after the impact. 韩国航空宇宙研究院（KARI）分享了其月球轨道探测器拍摄的首批照片。韩国是目前少数几个拥有卫星在距离月球表面 62 英里（100 公里）高度绕月运行的国家之一。在撞击发生后不久，“丹努里号”（Danuri）轨道探测器飞越了该区域。

KARI explained on its X account that it photographed the collision site both before and after the event. The images show signs of a recent impact, which astronomers projected would likely create a crater dozens of feet wide nearly 12 feet (3.6 meters) deep. KARI 在其 X 账号上解释称，他们拍摄了撞击点在事件发生前后的对比照片。图像显示了近期撞击的迹象，天文学家此前预测，这次撞击可能会形成一个宽数十英尺、深近 12 英尺（3.6 米）的陨石坑。

This evidence of the collision adds to observations from the Very Large Telescope, where astronomers detected sodium and lithium rising from the lunar surface, confirming that the rocket fragment did indeed strike the moon. 这一撞击证据补充了甚大望远镜（Very Large Telescope）的观测结果，此前天文学家曾探测到月球表面升起的钠和锂，证实了火箭残骸确实撞击了月球。

The crater is larger than several cars combined. Photograph: Korea Aerospace Research Institute 该陨石坑的大小相当于几辆汽车的总和。图片来源：韩国航空宇宙研究院

Astronomers predicted when and where the Falcon 9 impact would happen well in advance, and there were signs it could be visible with sufficiently powerful equipment. Yet days before the collision, space agencies such as NASA warned that it would be difficult to observe the moment of impact due to weather conditions and timing. 天文学家提前预测了猎鹰 9 号撞击的时间和地点，并有迹象表明，使用足够强大的设备可以观测到这一过程。然而，在撞击发生前几天，美国国家航空航天局（NASA）等航天机构曾警告称，由于天气条件和时间安排，观测撞击瞬间将非常困难。

Like KARI, NASA has lunar orbiters. It’s possible that in the coming days, following a series of data checks, higher-resolution images of the impact area will become available. 与 KARI 一样，NASA 也拥有月球轨道探测器。在未来几天，经过一系列数据核查后，可能会有更高分辨率的撞击区域图像发布。

But even at higher resolution, getting a granular view of the crater is unlikely. In fact, the new photos give a sense of just how small that is compared to the vastness of the lunar surface. To put this into perspective, the moon measures about 2,160 miles in diameter. 但即使分辨率更高，也很难获得陨石坑的精细视图。事实上，这些新照片让人意识到，与广阔的月球表面相比，这个陨石坑是多么微小。作为参考，月球的直径约为 2,160 英里。

Another image taken by the Danuri lunar satellite during one of its orbits over the impact area. Photograph: Korea Aerospace Research Institute “丹努里号”月球卫星在飞越撞击区域时拍摄的另一张照片。图片来源：韩国航空宇宙研究院

Why Did the Rocket Crash?

火箭为何会坠毁？

The Falcon 9 fragment made a crash landing after being in an unstable orbit for more than a year. The rocket launched in January 2025, completing its mission to deliver lunar landers. For more than a year, the gravity of Earth, the moon, and the sun slowly altered its orbital trajectory until it eventually impacted the lunar surface. 这块猎鹰 9 号残骸在经历了超过一年的不稳定轨道运行后坠毁。该火箭于 2025 年 1 月发射，完成了运送月球着陆器的任务。在一年多的时间里，地球、月球和太阳的引力缓慢改变了它的轨道轨迹，最终导致其撞击了月球表面。

“For most of our missions, we plan for a controlled deorbiting of the Falcon second stage so that it re-enters safely over the ocean,” SpaceX said of the rocket. “In higher-energy missions, such as those heading to a lunar transfer orbit, nearly all of the vehicle’s performance is dedicated to successfully placing the payload into the intended orbit, and a controlled deorbiting maneuver is not always possible.” “对于我们的大多数任务，我们都会计划对猎鹰二级火箭进行受控离轨，使其安全地在海洋上空再入大气层，”SpaceX 在谈到该火箭时表示。“在更高能量的任务中，例如前往月球转移轨道的任务，运载工具几乎所有的性能都用于成功将有效载荷送入预定轨道，因此并不总能进行受控离轨机动。”

“We are actively working to be as responsible as possible with the hardware left in space and to ensure space safety, even on more complex missions. In this case, over time, solar activity and gravity deflected the second stage toward the Moon. Impacts like this are rare, but they can occur with objects in these types of orbits, and we are collaborating with NASA to find the optimal disposal solution,” it added. “我们正在积极努力，尽可能负责任地处理留在太空中的硬件，并确保太空安全，即使是在更复杂的任务中也是如此。在这种情况下，随着时间的推移，太阳活动和引力使二级火箭偏向了月球。此类撞击虽然罕见，但对于处于此类轨道上的物体来说确实可能发生，我们正在与 NASA 合作寻找最佳的处置方案，”该公司补充道。