The impact raises questions on the future of lunar exploration, including how to protect any future moon bases from space junk. The rocket set for moon impact is the upper stage of a Falcon 9 that transported a pair of lunar landers. Weighing 4 metric tons, the rocket is expected to strike the lunar surface at a speed of approximately 5,400 mph—about seven times the speed of sound. A lunar crash landing visible from Earth will be a spectacle, one that raises concerns about the future of the moon. In March 2022, a Chinese Long March 3C rocket also struck the lunar surface and left a crater that’s 29 meters wide.