1,300-Pound NASA Research Satellite Will Come Crashing Down to Earth in the Next Few Hours

The risk of harm to people on our planet is considered low.

What goes up must come down – when it comes to satellites.

And now, a large NASA satellite will reportedly come crashing down to Earth in the next few hours, after spending nearly 14 years in orbit.

A 600-kilogram NASA satellite will enter Earth’s atmosphere tomorrow.

The Van Allen Probe A research satellite, weighing approximately 600 kilograms and launched in 2011, is scheduled to enter Earth’s atmosphere on March 11. The spacecraft operated until 2019, after which it… pic.twitter.com/7UgxDg4GuL

— Black Hole (@konstructivizm) March 10, 2026

Space.com reported:

“The spacecraft in question is the 1,323-pound (600-kilogram) Van Allen Probe A, which launched in August 2012 along with its twin, Van Allen Probe B, to study the radiation belts around Earth for which they’re named.”

The Van Allen radiation belts are two distinct zones of trapped energetic charged particles, forming crucial components of Earth’s magnetosphere. Discovered in 1958 by James Van Allen and his team using instruments aboard Explorer 1, these donut-shaped belts … 1/ pic.twitter.com/XSKhK4DbVH

— Erika  (@ExploreCosmos_) February 2, 2024

“Both spacecraft were deactivated in 2019, and Van Allen Probe A’s time off Earth is now nearly up. As of Monday afternoon (March 9), the U.S. Space Force predicted that the satellite will reenter Earth’s atmosphere on Tuesday at 7:45 p.m. EDT (2345 GMT), plus or minus 24 hours.”

LOOK OUT BELOW : A 1,300-pound NASA satellite, the Van Allen Probe A, is expected to have a fiery return to Earth with re-entry expected within hours. While the risk of debris causing harm on the ground is extremely low, this marks its first return to Earth’s atmosphere in… pic.twitter.com/lQ6VT5Z2zH

— FOX Weather (@foxweather) March 10, 2026

“That low risk of injury — about 0.02% — takes into account the fact that water covers about 70% of Earth’s surface. So, any parts that survive reentry will likely splash down in the open ocean, not land in or around a city.

The Space Force’s estimated reentry time is just that — an estimate. It will be updated in the coming hours, as more and better data come in.”

After almost 14 years in space, our Van Allen Probe A, which delivered vital data on Earth’s radiation belts, is expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere soon. Most of the spacecraft will burn up on re-entry, and the risk to anyone is low.

Details: https://t.co/lg5Mj6q8mS

— Bethany Stevens (@NASASpox) March 10, 2026

Read more:

Study Reveals that NASA Spacecraft Sent to Smash Into Asteroid Successfully Diverted Its Course, In Win for Future Missions to Nudge Space Rocks in Collision Course With Earth

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