#space junk

A drifting SpaceX rocket is on a collision course with the moon after launching a pair of lunar landers more than a year ago.

The rocket’s upper stage will unintentionally slam into the moon on Wednesday, carving out a crater and sending up a plume of dust and rubble that scientists — and skygazers — are eager to observe.

Space tracking expert Bill Gray predicts an impact of 5,400 mph (8,700 kph) — seven times the speed of sound — near Einstein Crater on the moon’s sunlit western limb. With the action unfolding in the wee hours, the eastern portions of the U.S. and Canada, and much of South America should have the best views.

While scientists are not too concerned about this particular piece of space junk, it highlights the growing threat as more and more items cram into orbit.

A 2024 study estimates that data storage to support current Earth observation satellites produces annual carbon emissions equivalent to 41,000 London-to-Paris flights. That figure is set to grow. Researchers also underline that spaceports and launches — putting payloads, various missions, and even tourists into space — remains a growth industry that has historically underrecognized terrestrial biodiversity concerns — perhaps beginning with Cape Kennedy’s role in the extinction of the dusky seaside sparrow (Ammospiza maritima nigrescens). In a 2024 paper, an international research team found that 60% of launch sites overlap with protected areas, especially in the tropics. Fanhao Kong, an author on that study and a researcher at the University of Marburg, Germany, says concerns are numerous, ranging from pollution emitted during launches, contamination of water sources, and noise disruption. “Biodiversity conservation is always the last consideration during the whole process,” she says. Her study highlighted how siting of spaceports predominantly on tropical coasts, along with the intrusive propulsion boost of launch vehicles, puts mangroves at particular risk. Conservationists in Mexico recently raised alarm that debris from a failed SpaceX launch led to contamination of a beach used by endangered sea turtles. Campaigners in the U.S. have protested against spaceports in other locations due to concerns over local water pollution and potential harm to protected areas. Wilson notes there is very limited knowledge as to how spent payloads falling into the world’s oceans impact marine life.

So happy to finally share this shot with you: a conjunction of the ISS and the moon. This shot required meticulous planning and precise timing to achieve, and the full image (in the second post in the thread) is one of my all-time favorites. CR:AM