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SpaceX Rocket About To Crash On The Moon on March 4
A SpaceX rocket ran out of fuel and decided to crash into the moon instead. According to astronomer Jonathan McDowell, this will be the first uncontrolled rocket crash into the moon.
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SpaceX Rocket Falcon 9 Launched in 2015, Can’t Go Home
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 booster went into orbit in 2015. However, it did not have enough fuel to set a course to Earth. As a result, the SpaceX Rocket will instead crash into the moon and explode.
However, McDowell assumes that the effect of the crash will be minor. The rocket encountered a lot of gravitational forces from the earth, the moon, and the sun.
This made its path somewhat “Chaotic,” according to McDowell, who works at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. “It's been dead – just following the laws of gravity,” he added.
SpaceX abandoned the rocket in high orbit seven years ago. It successfully completed its mission to launch a space-weather satellite via a journey of a million miles. SpaceX is banking on getting people to live on other planets in the future.
Surrounded By Space Junk
In addition, millions of pieces of space debris litter space along with the SpaceX rocket. Most are machinery disposed of by astronauts after completing missions without fuel to return to Earth.
“Over the decades there have been maybe 50 large objects that we've totally lost track of. This may have happened a bunch of times before, we just didn't notice. This would be the first confirmed case,” McDowell noted.
Without enough fuel to return to Earth, astronomers estimate the Falcon 9 to crash on March 4.
Ars Technica journalist Lars Berger made the calculations. “It's basically a four-tonne empty metal tank, with a rocket engine on the back. And so if you imagine throwing that at a rock at 5,000 miles an hour, it's not going to be happy,” McDowell added. He estimated that the moon crash will result in a small artificial crater on the surface.
Close Call Last January 5
Bill Gray, a scientist who uses software to track near-Earth space objects, said the SpaceX rocket made a close fly-by last January 5. He confirmed that March 4 is the date where Falcon 9 will likely hit the moon's far side.
In addition, McDowell also said that they won’t learn anything from this crash. He added that even as there are no consequences on space debris now, there could be lots in the future.
In the future when there are multiple space bases and cities, everybody will want to know what’s out there. Besides, it’s easier to organize space debris now since there’s low traffic. We shouldn’t wait until it’s a problem.
Watch the ABC News video segment reporting that the SpaceX rocket segment is on course to hit the moon:
Loading ...What do you think about the SpaceX rocket about to crash into the moon? Is space debris a problem now or is it a future problem?
Tell us what you think. Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
11 Comments
Just what we need! Our rusting junk left on a pristine planet! Sorry moon!
It’s the same old thing…as long as it’s not in my back yard nobody seems to care but what goes up , must come down. What gives humans the right to pollute our world and a beautiful Moon?
It’s a problem now & will only get worse ! The old objects in space should have a destruct button remotely controlled from earth to explode & destroy when they become obsolete. Time & money would be better spent on cleaning up the earth from all the trash & pollution caused by big business !
Falling debris??? Better on the moon than falling toward the children of the Earth. Once again, leave messes for our children to clean up..🙁 Is this not the new norm????
The 14 people who voted, wondering why the government lets them pollute space. Are the same liberal thinking morons that have the U. S. In the fix we are in now. If you are so dependent on the government for everything. Go live in China or Russia they will be more than happy to give you everything you need. OR SHOULD I SAY “DON’T WANT”
GREAT idea Lee, a self destruct button. Instead of one big piece of debris we have to dodge. NOW WE HAVE A BILLION SMALLER PIECES !!!
I do not have the solution thats for sure. But who ever starts mining the Helium-3 first on the moon will own the world. AND THE MOON !!!
So my question is where are all of the eco-Nazis with their out of control anger about this?? Oh wait!! That’s right, they are too busy waiting in line at the gas pumps for their OPEC $5 fossil fuel.
They can spend billions sending the shuttle up in space to launch these things. Since the 60’s we have put hundreds of them up there , supposedly they fall out of orbit and burn up on reentry. Some of them have gold and diamonds in them. Every time we take one up we should bring some back and recycle them instead of turning space into a hazardous junkyard
man always trashes every place they go.
They destroyed earth , now they want to go destroy another place! WOW !!!!! Way to go people!
Bravo👏 just another wonderful screw up that the corrupt government used OUR money, we the people, to do it. Just like the flu and the shot.
EVERY COMMENT CONTAINS VALID POINTS OF VIEW. MY FEELINGS? LEE’S GOT AN EXCELLENT IDEA, SELF-DESTRUCTION BUTTONS ON SHIPS. BUT DON’T TRUST MAN 2 B RESPONSIBLE 4 DESTROYING THEM FROM 🌎; THEY CAN’T MANAGE 2 KEEP THIS PLANET, OR SPACE, CLEAN. WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THEY’D BE ABLE 2 HANDLE RESPONSIBILITY 4 DESTROYING UNCONTROLLABLE SHIPS?!? DON’T HOLD YOUR BREATH! MANKIND HAS, AFTER TRASHING THE 🌎, STARTED TRASHING SPACE! WHY WEREN’T THEY SPENDING BILLIONS ON SAVING 🌎, B4 LOOKING 4 ANOTHER 2 WASTE?!? IF THEY WANNA KILL YET ANOTHER PLANET, THEY’D BETTER “PLOW THE ROAD” B4 SENDING CARS, TRUCKS & SUVs OUT 2 “DRIVE” ON IT!! THEY’RE CAUSING TRAFFIC JAMS B4 THEY’VE PAVED THE ROAD!! UGH! WILL THEY B SURE 2 “HAVE ENOUGH GAS” IN TRANSPORT SHIPS WHEN THEY HAUL PEOPLE 2 THE MOON?!? AND IF NOT? YEAH, WE KNOW THAT ANSWER! WHAT IRKS ME IS: MANKIND’S KNOWN ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING FOR A 1/2 CENTURY+!! WHY WAS NO EFFORT MADE 2 ENSURE THIS PLANET’S HEALTH?? AND, WHY ASSUME WE’RE THE ONLY PLANET AFFECTED? STOP & THINK…IF SPACE HAS BEEN SUFFERING FROM G.W., WHY THINK THE SPACE BETWEEN HERE & THE MOON HASN’T BEEN AFFECTED AS WELL? WILL THE MOON EVEN B HABITABLE, COME THE DEATH OF 🌎?? WOW! I GOTTA STOP HERE, IT’S NEVER ENDING W/THE “GOVERNMENT”. THE CONSTITUTION WAS WRITTEN 4 THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE…BUT MANKIND, ONCE AGAIN, HAS TRAMPLED OVER THAT, LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE HE’S TOUCHED. NOTHING NEW. I’M GLAD I WON’T LIVE 2 SEE “ARMAGEDDON’!!