A series of new images show a fresh impact crater on the Moon created when a SpaceX rocket stage unintentionally hits the lunar surface. Multiple outlets report that part of a Falcon 9 rocket debris impact is now visible in photographs taken shortly after the crash.
The pictures come from South Korea’s Danuri lunar orbiter, operated by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI). Sources say Danuri flies over the impact area soon after the incident and takes both “before” and “after” views from lunar orbit, with the darker ground marking the new crater and surrounding disturbed material such as dust and rock.
BBC and Phys.org describe the release as the first images of the fresh crash scene. Slashdot and other summaries add that Danuri makes multiple passes over the site and that the images are released by the space agency. NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is expected to fly over the area next week to observe the aftermath, according to one outlet’s account, though details of timing vary by report.
