1 revisions for "NASA's Van Allen Probe A Plunges Back to Earth — And Exposes a Growing Crisis in Orbit"
NASA's Van Allen Probe A made an uncontrolled reentry over the eastern Pacific Ocean on March 11, 2026, ending a 14-year journey that yielded groundbreaking radiation belt science. The 1,323-pound spacecraft's demise — accelerated by intense solar activity and carrying a casualty risk that exceeded NASA's own safety standard — spotlights the mounting problem of uncontrolled space debris reentries in an era of satellite megaconstellations.