AI-generated video falsely shown as SpaceX rocket's Moon…

In August 2026, the upper stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket impacted the Moon as predicted by scientists. While the collision was confirmed by astronomical observations and satellite imagery, a viral video circulating on social media falsely claimed to provide direct visual footage of the event.

What happened

The incident began when an Instagram account based in Nigeria posted a video appearing to show an object striking the lunar surface near the Einstein crater. The post included precise details regarding the time of impact, the rocket's speed, and the force of the collision. The video was reposted more than 200 times, capitalizing on public interest in the actual scientific event confirmed by the European Southern Observatory and the Korean AeroSpace Administration.

Investigation revealed that no satellites had captured direct footage of the impact. Reverse image searches traced the source material to a Bangladesh-based Instagram account that had published the same clip in January 2026. This account, along with an Indian-based Facebook page, regularly shares astronomy-themed content often created using AI tools like Picsart, which utilizes models such as Seedance Pro. These platforms are capable of cinematic scene generation, which was used to fabricate the lunar collision. While AI detection tools provided inconclusive results, analysis of the video frames via the InVID-WeVerify tool identified strong evidence of synthetic generation. The accounts involved often included disclaimers noting their content was inspired by real events, yet the video was widely shared as authentic evidence of the SpaceX rocket crash.