Defunct part of SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will slam into the moon

A defunct part of a Falcon 9 rocket could slam into the moon at more than 5,000 miles per hour, according to scientists.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4612x3075+0+0/resize/4612x3075!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F2f%2Fcb%2F6189e4a54967abb903f2fed59bca%2Fap25015230325064.jpg' alt='A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from pad 39A with a payload of a pair of lunar landers at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025.'/><p>A defunct part of a Falcon 9 rocket could slam into the moon at more than 5,000 miles per hour, according to scientists.</p><p>(Image credit: John Raoux)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-5917201' />