# Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO)

Type: Company

Source: Space & Defense Intelligence Brief — https://getspacebrief.com/entity/lunar-reconnaissance-orbiter-lro
Canonical HTML page: https://getspacebrief.com/entity/lunar-reconnaissance-orbiter-lro

## Timeline

- **2026-08-05**: SpaceX Falcon 9 Upper Stage Hits Moon Near Einstein Crater — The stage impacts at 5,400 mph (3 tons TNT equivalent), generating a crater ~90 ft wide and a visible debris plume. LRO and Danuri will document the aftermath.
- **2022**: Chinese Rocket Segment Impacts Lunar Far Side — A spent Chinese booster stage accidentally crashes into the Moon, creating a double crater and marking the first known unintentional rocket impact.

## Recent coverage (1 stories)

### 5,400-mph SpaceX rocket stage to hit Moon near Einstein Crater on Aug 5
2026-08-01 15:34:32 · Sentiment: Neutral · Impact: 5/10 · Sources: 5

A rogue SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage will slam into the Moon at hypersonic speed, offering a rare science opportunity and highlighting cislunar debris risks for future missions.
Full story: https://getspacebrief.com/story/spacex-falcon9-moon-impact-2026-space

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This page is a machine-readable summary. Sentiment measures the directional read of each development for this entity, not the tone of the reporting; impact weights consequence, not syndication reach. See https://getspacebrief.com/guides/methodology for the full editorial methodology.