What time will NASA's 600 kg satellite crash to Earth today— 14 years after launch?

NASA’s 1,300-pound satellite is going to hit Earth’s surface today, March 10, 2026, after having been orbiting the Earth for more than a decade now.

NASA has issued a statement, announcing that “Van Allen Probe A is expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere almost 14 years after launch."

The spacecraft Van Allen Probe A, weighing around 1,323 pounds (600-kilograms) was launched into orbit in August 2012 along with its pair, Van Allen Probe B, to conduct scientific experiments on the radiation belts around Earth, which they’re named.

For context, the radiation belts known as the Van Allen belts were discovered by renowned physicist James Van Allen.

However, as per NASA, both missions were abandoned in 2019, and Van Allen Probe A’s time off Earth is almost over.

At what time will 600-kg NASA satellite crash on Earth?

As per the details provided by the U.S. Space Force, the satellite is predicted to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere today on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at 7:45 pm EDT (23:45 GMT), plus or minus 24 hours.

According to NASA, there’s no imminent danger to humans amid its re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.

The statement added, “NASA expects most of the spacecraft to burn up as it travels through the atmosphere, but some components are expected to survive reentry. The risk of harm coming to anyone on Earth is low, approximately 1 in 4,200.”

So it means the low risk of injury stands at about 0.02%, while considering the fact that water covers about 70% of Earth’s surface.

Any debris that survives will likely fall into the ocean, away from cities and land.

The Van Allen Probes satellites were set for a two-year timeline, but the spacecraft managed to continue operating without any glitch until 2019 (Probe B) and October 2019 (Probe A).

They were the first spacecraft manufactured to study the radiation belts for many years within a region around our Earth.

It is known as an area where most spacecraft and astronaut missions minimize time in order to avoid damaging radiation.