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- Old NASA science satellite plunges back to Earth (abcnews.com)
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A retired NASA science satellite, the Van Allen Probe A, made an uncontrolled descent from orbit and reentered Earth’s atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday.
According to the U.S. Space Force, the spacecraft’s re-entry occurred west of the Galapagos Islands.
NASA had anticipated that most of the 1,323-pound (600-kilogram) satellite would incinerate upon re-entry, with some components potentially surviving. The space agency assessed the risk of bodily harm from debris at 1 in 4,200.
The Van Allen Probe A was one of a pair of satellites launched in 2012 to study the Van Allen radiation belts encircling Earth. After seven years of operation, the probes ceased functioning in 2019 due to depleted fuel.
While its twin, the Van Allen Probe B, remains in orbit but is no longer operational, the A probe’s re-entry was accelerated by heightened solar activity in recent years. NASA initially projected both satellites to remain in orbit until 2034, with the B probe now not expected to reenter before 2030.
Dutch scientist Marco Langbroek noted the inherent difficulty in predicting re-entries, particularly for objects with eccentric, lopsided orbits like the Van Allen Probe A.
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