NASA Satellite to Fall to Earth After Midnight

Parts of a large, now-defunct NASA satellite are expected to crash to Earth in the early hours of Wednesday, according to the American space agency.

The satellite, weighing approximately 600 kilograms, was launched in 2012 to study the Van Allen radiation belt. The U.S. Space Force predicts it will mostly disintegrate upon entering the Earth's atmosphere around 01:45 (Cyprus time).

Despite the possibility of some components surviving, the probability of a person being injured is 1 in 4,200. The Van Allen Probe A satellite, along with its twin, Van Allen Probe B, were launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on August 30, 2012. They were deactivated in 2019.

Initial calculations indicated reentry in 2034, but the second satellite is expected to return before 2030.

Source: CNA