US EditionOld NASA Science Satellite Plunges Back to Earth
The 600-kg Van Allen Probe A reentered uncontrollably due to fuel depletion and solar activity, with a 1-in-4,200 risk of bodily harm, NASA said.
- On Wednesday, Van Allen Probe A, an old NASA science satellite, plunged uncontrolled and reentered over the Pacific, with U.S. Space Force placing the descent west of the Galapagos Islands.
- NASA said intense solar activity over recent years hastened Probe A's orbital decay; the satellites ran out of fuel in 2019 and NASA expected them to remain until 2034.
- Launched in 2012, the twin Van Allen Probes studied the Van Allen radiation belts for seven years, and Van Allen Probe B remains in orbit but is no longer functioning.
- NASA said most of the 1,323-pound spacecraft would burn up though some pieces might survive entry, with a risk of bodily harm assessed at one-in-4,200.
- The probe's earlier-than-expected descent highlights forecasting limits for uncontrolled reentries, with Marco Langbroek, Dutch scientist, noting its eccentric, lopsided orbit made prediction especially difficult.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Associated Press News
Old NASA science satellite plunges back to Earth
An old NASA science satellite is no more. The U.S. Space Force says the Van Allen Probe A plunged uncontrolled from orbit on Wednesday, reentering over the Pacific west of the Galapagos Islands.
It is expected to disintegrate almost completely upon entering Earth's atmosphere.
A space mission that was supposed to end in eight years ends in an uncontrolled fall. NASA's 600-kilogram Van Allen Probe A re-enters the atmosphere at over 27,000 kilometers per hour. The satellite eventually turns into a fireball and burns up in the atmosphere, but some fragments may reach the Earth's surface. Follow the probe's position in real time.
On March 10th, a satellite weighing around 600 kilograms will sink to Earth. According to Nasa, the risk for people on Earth is very low. read more on t3n.de
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