SPACEX’S FALCON 9 WASN'T THE FIRST ROCKET TO CRASH INTO THE MOON. HERE'S A RUNDOWN. - SPACE

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket impacted the Moon, becoming only the second rocket to collide with the lunar surface after the Soviet Luna 2 mission of 1959. The event was highlighted by Space.com in a rundown of the crash and its aftermath.

Space.com reports that the impact created a visible crater that was later imaged by a Korean lunar orbiter. While SpaceNews covered a separate microgravity research mission—Redwire’s Starfall—this unrelated coverage confirms the focus on lunar impact imaging. Space.com’s historical note also reminds readers that on August 6, 2012 NASA landed the Curiosity rover on Mars using a rocket‑powered sky crane.

The Falcon 9 crash illustrates how modern rockets can still affect planetary bodies, underscoring the importance of tracking re‑entry trajectories and surface interactions for both scientific and planetary defense purposes.

• Falcon 9 became the second rocket to crash into the Moon after Luna 2.
• The resulting crater was photographed by a Korean lunar orbiter.
• Related coverage includes a microgravity research mission and a historical Mars landing.

Read the original source for full detail available at "space OR nasa OR spacex OR ESA src