Unknown object crashed into the back side of the Moon - it could be part of the Chinese Chang'e-5 rocket
By: Maksim Panasovskiy | 29.06.2022, 10:21
In early spring, an unidentified object crashed into the Moon and left a large crater. It is assumed that this is a Chinese missile.
What we know
The unknown object was observed for seven years. Astronomer Bill Gray developed tracking software. He believes that the third stage of the Chinese Chang'e-5 rocket, which was launched into space in 2014 as part of a lunar mission, crashed into the moon.
Scientists claim that the rocket traveled at a speed of 5 km/s (18,000 km/h). After the impact, two craters appeared on the moon with diameters of 16 m and 18 m. The double crater is thought to indicate more mass at the two ends of the cosmic body.
Officially, it is still unknown who owns the rocket. China claims that the Chang'e-5 rocket, after completing its mission, entered the Earth's atmosphere and burned up. By the way, astronomers first believed that the block of SpaceX rocket, which launched the DSCOVR space observatory in 2015, collided with the moon. But this version was ruled out because of the different trajectory of DSCOVR.
Source: Universe Today