A Rogue Rocket is on its Way to Collide with the Moon: Scientists say not the First Time
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A rocket launched in 2015 is likely to crash with the Moon in a few weeks. The fast-moving space trash is the top stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which was launched the Deep Space Climate Observatory satellite into orbit around the Earth. Since then, it has been chaotically circling about Earth and the Moon.
Bill Gray, an asteroid hunter, has been tracking the 4-tonne rocket since its launch. He discovered last month that his orbit-tracking programme predicted the launcher would smash with the lunar surface on March 4 at a speed of more than 9,000 kilometres per hour.
The booster is tumbling violently as it travels, which adds some uncertainty to the estimated impact time and position. It’s expected to happen on the Moon’s far side, so it won’t be visible from Earth. Some scientists think the collision is not a huge issue.
