NASA’s satellite, which weighs 600 kg, is expected to crash into Earth on Tuesday, March 10, 2026.
As reported by Space.com, The mission was only supposed to last two years, but the satellite named Van Allen Probe and its twin Van Allen Probe B remained active until 2019.
NASA launched these satellites in August to obtain critical data about Earth’s radiation belt and study the impact of solar activity on astronauts and technology.
According to NASA, “By observing these dynamic regions, the Van Allen probes have helped improve predictions of space weather events and their potential impacts.”
Both spacecraft were deactivated in 2019. According to the U.S. Space Force, the Van Allen probe is expected to reenter Earth’s atmosphere on Tuesday at 7:45 p.m. EDT, plus or minus 24 hours.
“NASA expects that most of the spacecraft will burn up as it travels through the atmosphere, but some components are expected to survive reentry,” a NASA official said in a statement.
Early fall of probe A
Both probes were expected to remain in orbit until 2034. But increased solar activity caused Earth’s atmosphere to expand, putting more drag on the satellites and pulling them toward Earth earlier than expected.
Unlike Probe A, Probe B will not reenter the atmosphere until 2030.
Potential risks to human life
According to NASA observations, most of the spacecraft is expected to burn up in the atmosphere, but some of the debris may survive.
Nevertheless, the risk to human life is extremely low. “The risk of harm to anyone on Earth is low: about 1 in 4,200,” NASA said.
The risk of being injured is extremely low (about 1 in 5,000) because the Earth is mostly water. Since 70% of the planet is covered by oceans, any debris that doesn’t burn will likely fall into the sea instead of hitting a city.
