Overview
- U.S. Space Force tracking and independent observers report the reentry occurred around 10:37 GMT with a splashdown in the East Pacific near the Galapagos Islands.
- NASA says most of the roughly 590–600 kilogram spacecraft likely burned up, while officials noted some components could survive, with an individual risk estimated at about 1 in 4,200.
- Satellite tracker Marco Langbroek says a Space Force infrared early-warning system likely detected the reentry fireball.
- Launched in 2012 and deactivated in 2019, the probe exceeded its two-year plan by delivering about seven years of radiation-belt science.
- A strong 2024 solar maximum increased atmospheric drag and sped up decay by nearly a decade, and the twin Probe B remains in orbit with reentry timing reported inconsistently across sources.