Space Junk Heads for Moon | Austin News

A SpaceX rocket stage, accidentally hurtling toward the moon at 5,400 mph after launching a year ago, is set to crash this Wednesday—becoming the second known defunct rocket to slam into the lunar surface. Though too faint to see from Earth, scientists are thrilled: the impact will kick up a dust plume offering clues about lunar composition and space debris risks. The crater, just 90 feet wide, will be captured by orbiters like NASA’s LRO and South Korea’s Danuri, helping us prepare for future moon missions amid growing space traffic. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/a1fd7c2646ee824f