A 1,300-pound NASA probe re-entered Earth’s atmosphere on Wednesday, nearly 14 years after it was launched.The U.S. Space Force confirmed the Van Allen Probe A, which was launched in August 2012, re-entered the atmosphere at 6:37 a.m. ET on Wednesday over the eastern Pacific Ocean region, NASA said in a statement.NASA had previously projected the probe to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere around 7:45 p.m. ET on Tuesday, citing the U.S. Space Force, but noted there was a 24-hour margin of uncertainty.AdvertisementAdvertisementMost of the probe was expected to burn up as it re-entered the atmosphere, NASA said, although some components were expected to survive re-entry. There was a 1 in 4,200 chance of anyone on Earth being harmed, NASA said, noting that the risk is low.The probe and a twin spacecraft, Van Allen Probe B, were sent to explore Earth’s permanent radiation belts and determine how particles within them are gained and lost. The zones, known as the Van Allen belts, are rings of charged particles trapped by Earth’s magnetic field, according to NASA. They shield the planet from cosmic radiation, solar storms and solar wind.An artists’ conception of two Van Allen Probes spacecraft in the Van Allen Radiation Belt. / Credit: HUM Images/Universal Images Group(Launched on August 30, 2012, the two Van Allen Probes spacecraft operate in the Van Allen Radiation Belt suffering the harsh conditions they are studying. Artists’ Conception. (Photo by: HUM Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images))Their mission was supposed to last two years, but ended up going for nearly seven, NASA said. Most missions to the belts are short to minimize exposure to damaging radiation.The mission ended in 2019, when the probes ran out of fuel and could no longer orient themselves toward the sun. An analysis by mission specialists found the probes would likely re-enter Earth’s atmosphere in 2034, but the current active solar cycle has triggered intense space weather events and increased atmosph …
