"Moon Collision Space Debris = Chinese Rocket"... 'Conclusive' Evidence Emerges [Reading Science]

-NASA Releases Photo of Unusual Double Crater Formation
-"Presumed to be from a Used Rocket. Different Shape from Apollo Project Rockets"
-Supports Existing Claims That It Is Essentially a Chinese Changzheng 3-C Rocket

A double impact crater formed by space debris that collided with the Moon on March 4. Photo by NASA

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] Amid controversy over the 'nationality' of the space debris that recently crashed on the moon, the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has found evidence that can help estimate its origin. It is confirmed to be a 'used rocket,' and since it differs from the American Apollo project rockets that previously crashed on the moon, the analysis supports the claim that it is a 'Chinese rocket.'

According to NASA on the 24th (local time), the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, a lunar observation satellite launched in 2009 orbiting the moon, recently captured and transmitted images of the crater formed by the space debris crash on the moon on March 4. NASA's analysis revealed that the crater was uniquely formed in the shape of two overlapping circles, one approximately 18 meters in diameter and the other about 16 meters. NASA stated that this suggests the space debris was a rocket.

On its official website, NASA explained, "The formation of a double crater is unusual and indicates that the object that crashed was the main body of a rocket with one end heavier. Typically, used rockets have empty fuel tanks, causing the center of gravity to be concentrated at the motor end," adding, "In the absence of clear information about the rocket's origin, the characteristics of this double crater allow us to infer its identity."

Crater on the lunar surface created by rockets used during the Apollo program in the 1970s. Unlike the double-ringed crater caused by space debris collision on March 4, these craters are all formed as a single ring. Photo by NASA.

NASA further added that none of the rocket bodies that have crashed on the moon so far have created such a double crater. During the 1970s Apollo program, the U.S. crashed four rockets?Apollo 13, 14, 15, and 17?onto the moon, creating large craters over 35 meters in diameter, but all were single circular craters, unlike this recent double circular crater.

In other words, NASA's explanation suggests that the space debris that crashed on the moon on March 4 was a used rocket launched by a certain country, and if it is not theirs, 'China' is suspected. Although not explicitly stated, this effectively confirms domestically and internationally that it is Chinese.

Earlier, on March 4, a large piece of space debris weighing about 4 tons crashed into the Hertzsprung crater on the far side of the moon. The U.S. believes it to be a booster from the Long March 3C rocket, which China launched in 2014 carrying the Chang'e 5 T-1 lunar lander. Initially, it was presumed to be a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched in 2015. However, NASA clarified that the flight paths differed, and optical observations confirmed the shape resembled a Chinese rocket, leading to the conclusion that it was likely the Chinese Long March 3C rocket. Nevertheless, China denied ownership of the rocket through an official Foreign Ministry briefing.

The global interest in this rocket's lunar crash stems from the fact that it was not a deliberate collision but a natural occurrence. So far, about 50 artificial objects have crashed or collided on the moon, but all were intentional. This recent crash has raised concerns that human space debris could pollute the moon.