What a Massive New Crater Means for Future Moon Bases

Live updates

1. 1h ago

   NASA Spots Massive New Lunar Crater Named McGetchin

   NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has discovered a massive new impact crater on the moon named McGetchin, located on the lunar eastern limb. Formed by a rare impact in 2024 involving an asteroid the size of a six-story building, the newly identified scar measures 728 feet wide and 141 feet deep. UCLA researchers note that the powerful event disturbed the lunar surface more than 3 kilometers away from the impact site. This find represents the largest newly formed impact crater ever recorded in the solar system, reshaping scientific understanding of surface remodelling and future lunar base planning.

   Why it matters

   The discovery of the McGetchin crater highlights the ongoing risks and physical transformations occurring on the lunar surface from asteroid impacts. As space agencies and private entities pursue lunar exploration and potential base building, understanding the frequency and severity of such impacts is critical. The event also coincides with renewed international interest and geopolitical debates regarding lunar resources and territorial claims.

   What is confirmed

   • NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter uncovered a 728-foot-wide crater that formed on the Moon in 2024.
   • The McGetchin crater measures 141 feet deep.
   • The impact that formed the crater occurred on the Moon's eastern limb.
   • UCLA research shows the impact disturbed the moon's surface more than 3 kilometers from the crater.

   Still unconfirmed

   • Former US President Donald Trump claimed that the Moon belongs to the United States.

   What to watch next

   • Further scientific analysis from UCLA and NASA regarding how the impact remodels the lunar surface
   • Developments in international legal frameworks governing lunar exploration and resource mining
   Sources used for this update (15)

   1. www.nytimes.com — Today’s Paper
   2. CNN — Lunar orbiter spots ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ new crater on the moon
   3. The New York Times — What a Massive New Crater Means for Future Moon Bases
   4. NASA Science (.gov) — APOD: 2026 September 23 - A New Lunar Crater: McGetchin
   5. Scientific American — Scientists discover largest new impact crater in the solar system ever—on our moon
   6. The Planetary Society — Amoebas and anniversaries
   7. scitechdaily.com — Once-in-a-Century Impact: NASA Just Found a Massive New ...
   8. newsroom.ucla.edu — UCLA scientists study rare new lunar crater and its impact on ...
   9. www.thetechedvocate.org — No country owns the Moon — not even the US, despite Trump’s claim. Whether it can be mined is another matter
   10. www.ecoportal.net — NASA identified fresh lunar impact crater 141 feet deep with ...
   11. www.natureworldnews.com — NASA Lunar Orbiter Finds a 728-Foot Crater That Formed in ...
   12. news.quantosei.com — McGetchin Crater Discovery: Why This New Moon Scar Matters
   confidence 100%