Seven years later, SpaceX’s fragment is about to hit the moon.

Seven years later, SpaceX’s fragment is about to hit the moon.

Date 27 Jan 2022 time 11:10

Astronomers predict SpaceX rocket parts near high-speed impact on the moon

AFP news agency reported on Jan. 27 astronomer Bill Gray behind Project Pluto, a software that calculates the trajectories of asteroids and other objects. In space, sponsored by NASA, parts of a SpaceX rocket that exploded seven years ago and were left floating in space after the mission were completed, said NASA. Likely to hit the moon in March with a speed of about 9,000 kilometers per hour

The rocket was deployed in 2015 as a booster to bring NASA’s Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) satellite into orbit to photograph the moon. before exploding and being dumped into space junk.

Gray noted that the rocket was likely to hit the moon on March 4 at more than 5,500 mph, or about 9,000 kph. and called on astronomers to participate in the observations

However, the exact time and point of impact may vary slightly. But Gray is pretty sure SpaceX’s space junk will hit the moon that day.

“I’ve been tracking the trajectory of this type of space junk for about 15 years and this is the first accidental lunar impact I’ve ever encountered,” Gray told AFP.

He added that in the future there will be more accidental collisions with the moon. Due to the increasing number of US and Chinese space missions This results in more space junk being dumped into orbit.

SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment from AFP.

AFP PHOTO / Robyn Beck

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