An abandoned SpaceX rocket part is on course to crash into the moon on Wednesday, offering scientists a rare chance to study the impact of space debris on the lunar surface.

The Falcon 9 upper stage is expected to strike near the Einstein Crater in the moon’s northern hemisphere at roughly 02:35 Eastern time (06:35 GMT), travelling at about 8 690km per hour.

Scientists eager to observe impact

Benjamin Fernando of Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, who led a recent paper on the anticipated collision, said telescope users might be able to see the plume of debris thrown up by the impact.

“It is unclear how bright it will be, which is one of the reasons why we are looking to study this event,” Fernando told AFP.

The spacecraft, assuming its propellant is spent, weighs roughly 4 000kg. NASA has confirmed there is no danger to Earth from the collision.

Solar activity altered rocket’s path

The rocket launched in January, carrying two lunar landers. While the booster returned to Earth, the upper stage remained in space to guide the landers forward.

Julianna Scheiman, director of NASA Science and Dragon Programmes at SpaceX, explained that the company typically performs safety manoeuvres for high-energy missions to comply with regulations.

“We did that,” she said at a Monday news conference, “but what has happened is essentially a mixture of solar activity and gravity forces have put it on a path towards the moon.”

Rare opportunity for lunar research

The research team’s paper highlights the event as a chance to test methods for locating impacts on the lunar surface, investigate dust and plume dynamics, and assess hazards from artificial space debris.

NASA spokesperson Jimi Russell said the agency will track the booster for training purposes and later observe the impact site for scientific study.

With NASA planning to establish a sustained human presence on the moon, understanding space debris in lunar orbit has become increasingly important.

Artificial collisions with the moon are uncommon. The last deliberate crashes occurred in the 1970s when NASA deliberately impacted spacecraft during its Apollo programme to collect seismic data.

The research team has encouraged both professional and amateur astronomers to attempt viewing or recording Wednesday’s collision.

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