Nasa spacecraft weighing 1,300lb re-enters Earth's atmosphere

Much of the Van Allen Probe was expected to burn up in the atmosphere, though Nasa said there was a "low" risk of people being struck by surviving components.

A 1,323-pound (600-kilogram) NASA satellite, Van Allen Probe A, is set to reenter Earth's atmosphere on March 10, 2026, after nearly 14 years in orbit. Launched in August 2012 alongside its twin, Probe B, the satellite studied Earth’s radiation belts and was deactivated in 2019. NASA expects most of the probe to burn up during reentry, though some parts may survive; the risk to people on Earth is minimal, estimated at 1 in 4,200. The predicted reentry time by the U.S. Space Force is 7:45 p.m. EDT, with a 24-hour uncertainty. Originally designed for two years, the probes greatly exceeded expectations, contributing valuable data on space weather and its effects on satellites and Earth-based systems. Due to increased solar activity, Earth’s atmosphere expanded and hastened the decay of Probe A’s orbit. Probe B, which was also affected, is expected to reenter no earlier than 2030.

NASA's Van Allen Probe A re-entered Earth's atmosphere at 6:37 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, March 11, almost 14 years after launch. From 2012 to 2019, the spacecraft and its twin, Van Allen Probe B, flew through the Van Allen belts, rings of charged particles trapped by Earth's magnetic field, to understand how particles were gained and lost. The belts shield Earth from cosmic radiation, solar storms, and the constantly streaming solar wind that are harmful to humans and can damage technology, so understanding them is important. Originally designed for a two-year mission, the Van Allen Probes A and B launched on Aug. 30, 2012, and gathered unprecedented data on Earth's two permanent radiation belts for almost seven years. NASA ended the mission after the two spacecraft ran out of fuel and were no longer able to orient themselves toward the Sun. The U.S. Space Force confirmed that the Van Allen Probe spacecraft re-entered the atmosphere over the eastern Pacific Ocean region, at approximately 2 degrees south latitude and 255.3 degrees east longitude. NASA expected most of the spacecraft to burn up as it traveled through the atmosphere, but some components may have survived re-entry. The Van Allen Probes were the first spacecraft designed to operate and gather scientific data for many years within the belts, a region around our planet where most spacecraft and astronaut missions minimize time in order to avoid damaging radiation. The NASA mission, managed and operated by Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab, made several major discoveries about how the radiation belts operate during its lifetime, including the first data showing the existence of a transient third radiation belt, which can form during times of intense solar activity. When the mission ended in 2019, analysis found that the spacecraft would re-enter Earth's atmosphere in 2034. However, those calculations were made before the current solar cycle, which has proven far more active than expected. In 2024, scientists confirmed the Sun had reached its solar maximum, triggering intense space weather events. These conditions increased atmospheric drag on the spacecraft beyond initial estimates, resulting in an earlier-than-expected re-entry. Data from NASA's Van Allen Probes mission still plays an important role in understanding space weather and its effects. By reviewing archived data from the mission, scientists study the radiation belts surrounding Earth, which are key to predicting how solar activity impacts satellites, astronauts, and even systems on Earth such as communications, navigation, and power grids. By observing these dynamic regions, the Van Allen Probes contributed to improving forecasts of space weather events and their potential consequences. Van Allen Probe B, the twin of the re-entering spacecraft, is not expected to re-enter before 2030.

An old NASA science satellite, Van Allen Probe A, made an uncontrolled reentry into Earth's atmosphere on March 11, 2026, descending over the Pacific Ocean west of the Galapagos Islands. The U.S. Space Force confirmed the event and noted that while most of the 1,323-pound (600-kg) satellite burned during reentry, some parts were expected to survive. NASA assessed the risk of harm from debris as low—about 1 in 4,200. Launched in 2012 alongside its twin, Van Allen Probe B, the satellite was part of a mission to study Earth’s Van Allen radiation belts. Though the mission ended in 2019 when the probes ran out of fuel, both were initially expected to remain in orbit until 2034. However, increased solar activity accelerated Van Allen Probe A’s descent. Probe B remains in orbit but non-functional, with its reentry estimated no earlier than 2030. The satellite's erratic orbit made predicting the reentry particularly challenging, according to Dutch scientist Marco Langbroek.

On March 10, 2026, NASA announced that the 1,300-pound (600 kg) Van Allen Probe A will reenter Earth's atmosphere significantly earlier than initially projected—eight years ahead of its expected 2034 descent. The acceleration in reentry schedule is attributed to heightened solar activity during the current solar cycle, which began in late 2019 and peaked sooner and more intensely than anticipated. This increased activity created greater atmospheric drag, pulling the fuel-depleted satellite out of orbit. U.S. Space Force estimates place reentry around 7:45 p.m. EDT on March 10, with a 24-hour margin of error; however, no confirmed reentry has been reported as of the latest update. The Van Allen Probes, launched in 2012, were initially intended for a two-year mission to study Earth's radiation belts but operated successfully for around seven years. Van Allen Probe A is expected to mostly burn up in the atmosphere, with minimal risk to human life (1-in-4,200 chance of causing harm). Its twin, Probe B, is still in orbit and anticipated to remain so until 2030. The mission yielded major scientific insights, including the discovery of electron acceleration near light speed and the occasional formation of a third radiation belt.

NASA's Van Allen Probe A is set to re-enter Earth's atmosphere, with the risk of harm to people estimated at 1 in 4,200, exceeding the agency's own risk guidelines. The spacecraft, launched in 2012, studied Earth's radiation belts until 2019. The re-entry was accelerated due to increased solar activity, which increased atmospheric drag. The twin spacecraft, Van Allen Probe B, remains in orbit and is not expected to re-enter before 2030.