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- Moon down: the fall of the Falcon 9 stage was caused by flaws in the preparation of the mission
Moon down: the fall of the Falcon 9 stage was caused by flaws in the preparation of the mission
The reason for the fall of the second stage of the Falcon 9 rocket to the Moon, according to experts interviewed by Izvestia, were flaws in the preparation of the mission. At the same time, experts believe that, despite the accidental nature of the incident, it can bring scientific benefits and help in the preparation of future lunar expeditions. Such incidents make it possible to calibrate tracking tools for space objects and refine models for calculating their trajectories. Of particular interest is the lunar dust raised by the impact. It is considered one of the most dangerous factors for astronauts' equipment and health, so studying its behavior will help plan future landing missions more accurately and reduce the risks associated with it.
Why did the second stage of the Falcon 9 collide with the Moon
The uncalculated flight path of the second stage of the Falcon 9 launch vehicle, which collided with the Moon, was the result of insufficient study of the mission, Nathan Eismont, a leading researcher at the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Izvestia.
— It is possible that the stage did not receive sufficient fuel to enter a safe orbit, excluding a collision with the Moon. Or the necessary maneuver was not performed for some reason. As a result, under the influence of the gravity of the Earth and the Moon, it gradually shifted to a collision course with the satellite," the scientist noted.
The Falcon 9 rocket was launched on January 15, 2025 with the American Blue Ghost M1 lander and the Japanese HAKUTO-R Resilience spacecraft, designed to explore the lunar surface. The collision of the second stage with the satellite occurred on August 5 at about 09:35 Moscow time. It fell in the area of Einstein crater, located at the western edge of the visible side of the Earth's satellite.
According to the scientist, despite the unplanned nature of the incident, it can bring scientific benefits. In particular, the crater formed after the impact and the nature of the ejected material will help researchers better understand the properties of the lunar soil in the area.
In addition, such events can serve as a model for studying the consequences of collisions of the Moon with large asteroids, said Nathan Eismont. As an example, he cited the asteroid 2024 YR4, about 50-60 m in size, which was actively discussed in the media last year. Initial calculations showed that the probability of its collision with the Moon in December 2032 reached about 4.3%. However, as observational data accumulated, it was practically eliminated, the expert emphasized.
— There will be no major changes on the Moon from the fall of the Falcon 9 stage, but a noticeable trace will remain. The mass of the stage is about 4 tons, and the speed is 2.4 km/s (about 8,700 km/h). The kinetic energy of the impact corresponds approximately to the explosion of 3 tons of TNT. A crater from 20 to 40 m in diameter should appear," Konstantin Ryazantsev, a researcher at the Laboratory of Meteoritics and Cosmochemistry at the Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Izvestia.
According to him, the calculations are complicated by the fact that the second stage has an elongated shape — about 12 m in length — and an uneven mass distribution: heavy engines are located on one side, empty fuel tanks on the other. In addition, the device rotates, so the nature of the impact largely depends on its orientation at the time of collision with the surface. As a result, the resulting crater may be oval or asymmetrical.
As the scientist noted, the fall of large fragments of space technology to the Moon occurs infrequently, so such events are of particular interest to researchers. In particular, the flash of light that occurs on impact is of great importance. Based on its brightness, it is possible to estimate the energy of the collision and compare the calculated models with real observations.
"In the future, when the lunar base is operational and there will be more flights to the Earth's satellite, the probability of debris or parts of rockets and spacecraft falling on its surface will be higher, and accurate trajectory calculations will be very important so that some of the debris does not damage the station," Konstantin Ryazantsev specified.
How will the incident help improve the safety of future missions
Most of the time, the moon's surface is impacted by asteroids and other space objects. It has no atmosphere, so even small bodies do not burn up when falling and reach the ground. That is why it is covered with craters, Israeli and American theoretical physicist Avi Loeb told Izvestia.
— Of course, the collision was not planned, but the damage cannot be called significant. When the astronauts of the Artemis II mission flew over the far side of the Earth's satellite, they observed nine flashes caused by asteroid impacts on the surface. That is, the Moon is constantly exposed to similar influences — they occur in different areas," the expert shared.
Cosmonautics historian and writer Pavel Shubin recalled that in the 1970s, the spent upper stages of Saturn launch vehicles used in the Apollo program were deliberately sent to the satellite. They collided with the surface at high speed, and the resulting fluctuations were recorded by seismometers left on the Moon by the landing module crews. By the nature of the propagation of these waves, scientists studied the internal structure of the celestial body. In particular, such experiments helped to confirm the presence of its nucleus and cortex.
— However, there is no network of seismic sensors now, so it is impossible to make observations. Theoretically, the fall can be recorded using ground-based telescopes and cameras on spacecraft, but due to the low resolution, little can be discerned as a result. The crater will turn out to be small, and objects on the Moon from a kilometer in size are visible from the Ground," the expert noted.
What is the danger of moon dust?
— The raised dust is of particular interest — its electrification and settling dynamics. Lunar regolith particles have sharp edges, easily penetrate various mechanisms, scratch optical elements and solar panels, and pose a threat to astronauts' respiratory organs, skin, and eyes," said a researcher at the IKI RAS, developer of the Lunar Dust Monitoring instrument for landers, including Chang'e-7, Gennady Dolnikov.
In his opinion, understanding the behavior of such dust during the landing or fall of various objects on the Moon will make it possible to more accurately plan future space missions, ensure the safety of astronauts and maintain the operability of technical devices on the surface of the satellite.
The study of dust can also provide new scientific data, the expert added. For example, in 2008, the Indian Chandrayaan-1 orbital station dropped an impact probe on the Moon and examined the resulting cloud of particles. As a result, scientists have confirmed the presence of water ice in the southern polar regions of the Earth's satellite.
However, the scientist noted that the fall of the Falcon 9 stage was a random event, so the possibility of observing it depended on many factors: location, solar illumination, temperature in the collision area, the angle of entry of the object into the surface and other conditions. At the moment, there is no significant data to draw scientific conclusions. None of the ground-based observatories recorded a characteristic dust emission or a flash of light from the impact. Perhaps this is due to the unfavorable conditions of observation.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
