Part of an out-of-control SpaceX rocket is set to slam into the moon in March after tumbling through space for the last seven years.
While SpaceX has nailed the process of landing the first stage of its Falcon 9 rocket back on terra firma, the second stage is left to burn up in the atmosphere as it falls back to Earth. At least, that’s what usually happens.
A lack of fuel prevented the second-stage booster from reaching Earth’s atmosphere, causing it to tumble through space in a chaotic orbit. But its erratic seven-year voyage looks set to end abruptly in early March when the 4-ton booster slams into the moon at 5,000 mph. Commenting on the accuracy of the predicted impact date, Gray wrote on his website: “If this were a rock, I’d be 100% certain … But space junk can be a little tricky.”
Gray said he’s hoping to calculate the impact location as precisely as possible in the hope that NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and India’s Chandrayaan-2 lunar orbiter will be able to photograph the crash site for further study.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
SpaceX delays launch of Italian satellite again, this time because of wayward shipIt was the fourth consecutive day that SpaceX was stymied in its attempt to launch the CSG-2 satellite.
Read more »
SpaceX rocket booster to crash into moon, leaving crater: space expertsWhile spacecraft are sometimes intentionally crashed on the moon at the end of a lunar mission, for example, space debris randomly hitting the moon is uncommon.
Read more »
SpaceX delays back-to-back Falcon 9 rocket launches due to bad weatherA satellite launch for Italy and SpaceX's next Starlink fleet mission have been postponed several times.
Read more »
SpaceX lottery winner gave seat to friend because he exceeded weight limitThe pair met in college and shared a passion for spaceflight, driving out to watch NASA shuttle launches and participating in commercial space flight advocacy groups.
Read more »
SpaceX winner Kyle Hippchen gave away seat because he exceeded weight limitThe mystery winner of a seat aboard a SpaceX flight said he gifted the prize to his friend after the company determined that he exceeded the weight limit.
Read more »
‘Ozark’ Season 4 Part 2 Release Date: Everything We KnowEverything we know about Ozark season 4 part 2 and its release date, given the information Netflix has laid out so far.
Read more »