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Van Allen Probes

All articles tagged with #van allen probes

space1 month ago•184 min saved

Uncontrolled NASA debris reentry: tiny chance of ground harm

NASA’s defunct Van Allen Probes (launched in 2012, mission ended in 2019) are on an uncontrolled reentry path. Most of the 600-kg craft is expected to burn up, but a small portion could survive to reach Earth’s surface with an estimated ground-harm risk of about 1 in 4,200. Reentry could occur as soon as Tuesday evening due to solar activity increasing atmospheric drag, prompting NASA and the US Space Force to monitor. The episode underscores ongoing concerns about space debris and the challenge of safely disposing of aging spacecraft.

via CNN|

#ground-impact-risk #nasa #reentry

science1 month ago•3 min saved

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.

via NBC News|

#earth-safety #nasa #re-entry

space1 month ago•2 min saved

Van Allen Probe A Heads Toward Re-Entry After Pioneering Belt Study

NASA's Van Allen Probe A is on a planned re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere after a mission to study the planet’s radiation belts. The 1,323-pound satellite, launched in 2012 with Van Allen Probe B, is expected to re-enter around 7:45 p.m. EDT on March 10, 2026 (±24 hours); most of it will burn up, but some debris could survive. The mission, originally two years, ran for about seven years and yielded important insights into radiation belts and space weather forecasting, including evidence of a transient third belt. Van Allen Probe B isn’t expected to re-enter until around 2030. The risk to people on Earth remains very low, about 1 in 4,200, and predictions will be updated as conditions change.

via NASA (.gov)|

#earths-radiation-belts #nasa #re-entry

science1 month ago•26 min saved

Uncontrolled NASA satellite set for dramatic Earth reentry within hours

A 1,300-pound NASA satellite (Van Allen Probe A) is on an uncontrolled descent and could reenter Earth's atmosphere around 7:45 p.m. ET today, with the exact debris footprint uncertain and debris expected to mostly burn up; the ground risk is extremely low (about 1 in 4,200). The probe's mission ended in 2019 and, due to higher-than-expected solar activity increasing atmospheric drag, its descent has accelerated.

via Daily Mail|

#debris #nasa #reentry

space-exploration1 month ago•54 min saved

1,300-pound NASA satellite set for a fiery reentry on March 10

NASA’s 1,323-pound Van Allen Probe A is expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere around March 10, with the Space Force targeting about 7:45 p.m. EDT (2345 GMT) ±24 hours. Most of the spacecraft should burn up during reentry, and any surviving pieces pose a very small risk to people on the ground (about 1 in 4,200). Debris would likely splash down in the ocean. The probes, launched in 2012 and deactivated in 2019, studied Earth’s radiation belts; heightened solar activity has increased atmospheric drag, shortening their orbital lifetimes, with Probe B not expected to reenter until around 2030.

via Space|

#nasa #reentry #space-debris