NASA’s Van Allen Probes Begin Final Descent Toward Earth
NASA says the 1,300-pound Van Allen Probe from the 2012 mission is due to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere around 7:45 p.m. ET (00:45 GMT) with a 24-hour uncertainty; it will mostly burn up, with a 1 in 4,200 chance of debris causing harm. The mission, which outlasted its planned two-year life by seven years, studied Earth’s radiation belts and helped identify a transient third belt; Van Allen Probe B isn’t expected to re-enter until about 2030, and NASA/US Space Force will monitor the descent.
