Glushko crater
Lunar crater ~43 km wide with 800 km ejecta rays; named after Soviet rocket pioneer Valentin Glushko.
Last refreshed: 7 April 2026
What are the bright streaks around Glushko crater on the Moon?
Latest on Glushko crater
- Who is Glushko crater on the Moon named after?
- Soviet rocket engine designer Valentin Glushko (1908-1989), whose engines powered Sputnik and Vostok.
- What are the bright rays around Glushko crater?
- Young ejecta rays extending up to 800 km from the impact site, bright because the material has not yet been weathered dark by solar wind.
Background
Glushko crater is a well-preserved Young impact crater on the western near side of the Moon, approximately 43 kilometres (27 miles) in diameter. It is notable for bright ejecta rays extending up to 800 kilometres (500 miles) across the surrounding maria. The crater was observed by the Artemis II crew during the Day 6 six-hour photography programme on 6 April 2026, as Orion passed close approach near the near/far-side boundary.
The crater is named after Valentin Glushko (1908-1989), the Soviet rocket engine designer whose RD-107 and RD-108 engines powered the Sputnik and Vostok programmes. The naming is notable: Glushko and Sergei Korolev had a famous professional and personal rift that historians credit with delaying Soviet crewed lunar efforts in the 1960s.
Glushko crater's relative youth and prominent ray system make it a geological reference point for dating surfaces on the near side. The Artemis II crew's photographs will add to the orbital imagery dataset ahead of future surface missions in the region.