NASA and SpaceX: The Moon’s Surprising Visitors
NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has been actively capturing images of the lunar debris left behind by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 upper stage. As GadgetLad noted earlier, in 2025, private aerospace firms Firefly and ispace took a journey aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket for their Blue Ghost Mission 1 and RESILIENCE moon missions. The latter did not fully live up to its bold title, while Blue Ghost performed slightly better. The Falcon 9’s upper stage, due to its elevated trajectory, was bound to touch the Moon, which it accomplished in early August. South Korea managed to secure some playful images, followed by NASA between August 11 and 12, showcasing the pictures on a Tuesday. You are viewing four of these lunar selfies, each taken from a different perspective as the LRO cruised 60 miles (96km) above the lunar terrain at a relaxed mile per second (1600 m/s).
A Crater’s Story
Nasa’s expert team scrutinized the photographs and concluded that the Falcon 9 left a trace: a crater measuring 60 feet across and 10 feet deep (18m x 3m). The dark spot in the top-left image is thought to be a coarse area affected by solar wind, cosmic rays, and micrometeorites. And those bright streaks and marks in the bottom-right image? That’s newly disturbed lunar soil brought up from below.
Christmas Island’s Peculiar Guest
Way over at the secluded location known as Christmas Island, another SpaceX sensation, the Starship from its 13th test flight, has shown up. Not traditionally recognized as a space center, the island is more about red crab migrations and Australian immigration stories. Nevertheless, it is conveniently located near the Starship’s landing area. SpaceX mentioned on X that they towed the craft to the island, valuing its tranquil waters for some post-mission adjustments before hopefully returning it to the Texas Starbase.
Island Photos and Interference
Chris Bray, the island’s local photographer, captured some fantastic images of the Starship calmly floating on the ocean. With the spacecraft basking in the sun, engineers are likely eager to examine it before sending it back for further modifications.
Conclusion
Not Your Standard Day in Space
From lunar craters to spacecraft relaxing on resort islands, SpaceX certainly knows how to make an impression, doesn’t it? Let’s hope their upcoming moon missions land a bit more smoothly. In the meantime, cheers to the teams at NASA and SpaceX, fearlessly venturing where no one has made a crater before.
