Nearly 14 years after being launched into space, a giant NASA satellite is expected to crash to Earth on Tuesday night.
Van Allen Probe A will re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere around 11.45pm GMT (7.45pm EDT), but its exact location is not yet known.
The spacecraft, which weighs 600 kilograms (1,323 pounds), is unlikely to hit anyone on the ground, with NASA saying the risk is about 1 in 4,200, or 0.02 percent.
“NASA expects that most of the spacecraft will burn up as it passes through the atmosphere, but some components are expected to survive re-entry,” NASA said on Monday.
“The risk of harm to anyone on Earth is low. NASA and the Space Force will continue to monitor reentry and update forecasts.”
Van Allen Probes A is one of two twin satellites, the other being Van Allen Probes B, which was launched in August 2012 to collect data from Earth’s two permanent radiation belts (named after scientist James Van Allen).
Spacecraft and satellites typically avoid these zones to minimize radiation damage. However, studying them is important for understanding space weather and how Earth is protected from cosmic radiation, solar storms and solar winds.
Artist’s impression of NASA’s Van Allen Probes (NASA)
The Van Allen Probes were originally planned for a two-year mission but operated for seven years before being retired in 2019.
In that time, the data collected has played an important role in improving space weather forecasts and predicting how solar activity affects satellites, astronauts and power grid systems on Earth.
NASA said the second Van Allen probe is not expected to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere before 2030.
Situations in which space objects harm people or property on the ground are extremely rare, but not unprecedented.
In 2002, a six-year-old boy was hit by a 10-kilogram piece of debris following a satellite launch in a northern Chinese province. He reportedly suffered minor injuries to his toes and head.
