
Defunct NASA satellite to crash back to Earth, with a small risk of falling debris
NBC News
A defunct NASA satellite that launched 14 years ago to study Earth’s radiation belts is expected to crash back to the planet on Tuesday
A defunct NASA satellite that launched 14 years ago to study Earth’s radiation belts is expected to crash back to the planet on Tuesday.
The roughly 1,323-pound spacecraft, known as the Van Allen Probe A, is projected to plunge through the atmosphere at approximately 7:45 p.m. EDT, based on predictions from the U.S. Space Force. Although it will be an uncontrolled re-entry — meaning NASA has no way to steer the probe — the agency expects most of the satellite to burn up as it makes the fiery trip through the atmosphere.
The agency said in a statement, however, that “some components are expected to survive re-entry.”
“The risk of harm coming to anyone on Earth is low — approximately 1 in 4,200,” NASA said. “NASA and Space Force will continue to monitor the re-entry and update predictions.”
It’s not uncommon for out-of-commission satellites, spent rocket parts and smaller bits of space debris to fall back to Earth. In fact, these types of objects re-enter the planet’s atmosphere on an almost daily basis, according to the European Space Agency.

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