NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Spots Rocket Impact Site on Moon, Says Research

Astronomers last year discovered the body of a rocket headed for a lunar collision. The impact occurred on March 4, and the resulting crater was later discovered by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Surprisingly, the crater actually consists of two craters, an eastern crater (18 meters in diameter, about 19.5 yards), overlying a western crater (16 meters in diameter, about 17.5 yards).

双弹坑是出乎意料的，可能表明火箭体的每一端都有很大的质量。 通常，用过的火箭的质量集中在发动机端； 火箭级的其余部分主要由一个空油箱组成。 由于火箭体的起源仍然不确定，陨石坑的双重性质可能表明它的身份。

No other rocket body impacts on the Moon created double craters. The four Apollo SIV-B craters were somewhat irregular in outline (Apollos 13, 14, 15, 17) and were substantially larger (greater than 35 meters, about 38 yards) than each of the double craters. The maximum width (29 meters, about 31.7 yards) of the double crater of the mystery rocket body was near that of the S-IVBs.

LRO is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Launched on June 18, 2009, LRO has collected a treasure trove of data with its seven powerful instruments, making an invaluable contribution to our knowledge about the Moon. NASA is returning to the Moon with commercial and international partners to expand human presence in space and bring back new knowledge and opportunities.