The millennias-long dream of space travel has kicked into first gear these past few years. Usually, when space technology is used, the country behind it is excited to earn credit. However, a recent mysterious rocket has led to the opposite.
Who owns this rocket?
A report from The Sydney Morning Herald revealed that a random rocket on the moon has been picked up by NASA. The report claims that this rocket has been tracked through space since 2015 and finally hit the Lunar surface last March.
The mysterious rocket made contact with the lunar surface, creating a crater on the satellite. NASA claims that the impact this rocket made was unlike anything they’ve seen before.
“Surprisingly, the crater is actually two craters, an eastern one (18m diameter) superimposed on a western one (16m diameter),” scientists from NASA and Arizona State University wrote. “The double crater was unexpected and may indicate that the body had large masses at each end. Typically a spent rocket has mass concentrated at the motor end; the rest of the rocket stage mainly consists of an empty fuel tank. Since the origin of the rocket body remains uncertain, the double nature of the crater may indicate its identity.”
Currently, no country has owned up to the rocket, likely due to the impact that it made on the moon. Granted, it’s not like the moon was decimated, but NASA still wants to know who did it.
Currently, there’s a debate surrounding who the mysterious rocket belongs to. At the time of writing, scientists believe it belongs to China, but the country’s typical marketing surrounding space travel makes this a bit unlikely.
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Poor moon?
Despite NASA wanting to know which rocket caused these craters, it’s worth noting that the planet has essentially been crater practice for many these space vehicles. That doesn’t mean a country shouldn’t own up to what it did but at the same time, it’s hard to be upset at this since the moon isn’t going anywhere.
Japan, South Korea, Russia, India, and the United Arab Emirates are planning to have missions on the moon soon. Interestingly enough, the US is planning to have the first woman on the moon in 2024. We’re more shocked that more women haven’t been on the moon, to be honest, but it’s not like that planet is a daily destination for many.