\n<\/p>\n
NASA\u2019s\u00a0Van Allen Probe A\u00a0<\/strong>is expected to re-enter Earth\u2019s atmosphere almost\u00a014\u00a0years after launch. From\u00a02012\u00a0to\u00a02019, the spacecraft and its twin, Van Allen Probe B, flew through the Van Allen belts,\u00a0rings of charged particles trapped by Earth\u2019s magnetic field,\u00a0to understand how particles were gained and lost.\u00a0The belts shield Earth from cosmic radiation, solar storms, and the constantly streaming solar wind that are harmful to humans and can damage technology, so understanding them is important.\u00a0<\/p>\n As\u00a0of\u00a0March\u00a09,\u00a02026,\u00a0the\u00a0U.S. Space Force\u00a0predicted that the\u00a0roughly 1,323-pound\u00a0spacecraft will re-enter the atmosphere at approximately\u00a07:45\u00a0p.m. EDT on\u00a0March\u00a010,\u00a02026,\u00a0with an uncertainty of\u00a0+\/-\u00a024\u00a0hours.\u00a0NASA expects most of the spacecraft to burn up as it travels through the atmosphere, but some components are expected to survive re-entry. The risk of harm coming to anyone on Earth is low \u2014\u00a0approximately 1 in 4,200.\u00a0NASA and\u00a0Space Force\u00a0will continue to\u00a0monitor\u00a0the re-entry and\u00a0update\u00a0predictions<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Originally\u00a0designed\u00a0for a two-year mission, the Van Allen Probes\u00a0A and B\u00a0launched on Aug. 30, 2012, and gathered unprecedented data on Earth\u2019s\u00a0two\u00a0permanent\u00a0radiation belts\u00a0\u2014 named for scientist James Van Allen \u2014 for\u202falmost\u00a0seven\u202fyears.\u00a0NASA ended the mission after the two spacecraft ran out of fuel and were no longer able to orient themselves toward the Sun.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n The Van Allen Probes were the first spacecraft designed to\u202foperate\u202fand gather scientific data for many years within the belts, a region around our planet\u202fwhere\u202fmost spacecraft and astronaut missions minimize time\u00a0in order\u00a0to\u00a0avoid damaging radiation.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n