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Van Allen Probe A Set for Uncontrolled Reentry Tonight

An unusually active solar cycle sped up its fall, leaving only a very low risk to people, according to trackers.

Overview

  • The U.S. Space Force projects reentry around 7:45 p.m. EDT on March 10 with an uncertainty window of plus or minus 24 hours.
  • NASA says most of the roughly 1,323‑pound spacecraft will burn up, though some components may survive, with an estimated injury risk of about 1 in 4,200.
  • Precise timing and location remain hard to predict due to atmospheric dynamics, though any surviving debris is statistically more likely to fall over ocean.
  • The mission, flown from 2012 to 2019 with a twin spacecraft, revealed key radiation‑belt physics including evidence of a transient third belt.
  • Earlier forecasts pointed to a 2034 reentry, but solar‑maximum conditions increased atmospheric drag; the twin Probe B is not expected to reenter before 2030.