The Danuri orbiter watched the area before and after the crash. It took photos of the site several times. The Falcon 9 rocket hit the moon on August 5. The orbiter took eight photos.

The space agency said the photos show changes in the terrain and debris from the crash.

The photos give researchers a chance to study the crash. They will combine the photos with others from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to learn about the moon.

The Falcon 9 rocket hit the moon after drifting in space for over a year. The crash was an accident caused by solar activity and gravity.

SpaceX said they try to be responsible with their hardware in space. They worked with NASA to dispose of the rocket safely.

People on the ground could not see the crash. But astronomers detected a plume of material from the crash using a telescope in Chile.

The rocket launched from Cape Canaveral in 2025 with two lunar landers. After releasing them, the rocket stayed in space and eventually hit the moon.

The South Korean orbiter went to the moon on a similar rocket. It launched in 2022 and is mapping the lunar surface.

The crash has raised concerns about space debris around the moon.

NASA has planned many robotic missions to the moon. SpaceX and Blue Origin are also developing lunar landers for future missions.

Topics NASA