SpaceX Moon Crash Highlights Growing Concerns Over Orbital Debris

While the impact of a SpaceX rocket stage on the Moon posed no danger to Earth, the incident has renewed concerns about the growing amount of debris and hardware being placed in space, astronomer Matt Bothwell of the University of Cambridge said, Malu Cursino reported for BBC News.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 launches into orbit as scientists warn about the growing amount of human-made hardware in space. [Photo: SpaceX]

"Space is getting more and more crowded," Bothwell said, noting that humanity launches more objects into space each year.

He warned that, within a few decades, the increasing volume of objects in orbit could make it considerably more difficult to operate safely around Earth. The Falcon 9 upper stage involved in the lunar impact had been in orbit since its launch from Florida in January 2025.

The original article also states that the booster from the same January 2025 mission was scheduled to make its 18th flight on Aug. 10, carrying 29 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit.

This should be clarified because the booster and the upper stage that subsequently struck the Moon are different components of the rocket.