IN JANUARY 2025 the upper section of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched two lunar landers towards the Moon. But that was not the end of this particular rocket’s contribution to science. That will come on August 5th when it crashes into the Moon’s surface at around 8,700kph (5,400mph).
The rocket stage is one of thousands that have been discarded after completing their one and only flight. Typically, they are placed in low-earth orbit, where the wisps of atmosphere that still exist at such altitudes eventually slow them enough to tumble back to earth, burning up on re-entry. But this particular mission left the rocket stage too far from the earth for atmospheric drag to catch it.