Uncontrolled re-entry: NASA's Van Allen Probe A poses small debris risk
A defunct NASA satellite, Van Allen Probe A (launched in 2012 to study Earth's radiation belts), is expected to re-enter Earth's atmosphere in an uncontrolled descent around 7:45 p.m. EDT; most of the 1,323-pound craft should burn up, but some components may survive, with an estimated risk to people on Earth of about 1 in 4,200. Predictions carry roughly 24 hours of uncertainty. The probe's twin, Van Allen Probe B, remains in orbit, and this event underscores ongoing space-debris concerns as launches increase; debris typically falls over oceans due to most of Earth's surface being water.
