Satellite captures before and after views of rocket's crash into moon

<p>A South Korean satellite has captured the first pictures of the moon’s fresh crash scene caused by a stray SpaceX rocket.</p> <p>The Korea Aerospace Research Institute's Danuri spacecraft flew over the impact site soon after the Falcon 9 upper stage <a href="https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/08/06/wayward-spacex-rocket-slammed-into-the-moon-as-predicted-scientists-say/" target="_blank">inadvertently ploughed into the moon</a>. Danuri made multiple passes, snapping photos from lunar orbit that were released by the space agency Thursday.</p> <p>The terrain is noticeably darker where the rocket hit and carved out a crater, sending dust and rock everywhere. Korean space officials said Danuri gathered before and after shots.</p> <p>NASA expects its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to fly over the crash site next week to view the aftermath.</p> <p>Elon Musk's SpaceX launched Danuri from Cape Canaveral in 2022.</p> <p>The company also sent a pair of private lunar landers to the moon last year. The upper stage from that launch is <a href="https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/08/01/discarded-spacex-rocket-on-high-speed-collision-course-with-the-moon/" target="_blank">what crashed into the moon this week</a> at 8700km/h, placed on an accidental collision course by solar activity and gravity, according to SpaceX.</p>