NASA satellite weighing over 1,500 pounds falling uncontrollably back to Earth today

A National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) satellite, weighing over 1,500 pounds, is hurling back to Earth after nearly 14 years in orbit. It is expected to return any time on Tuesday.

The American space agency has been tracking the Van Allen Probe A, which completed its mission in 2019, and estimates that the satellite will reenter the atmosphere at around 7:45 p.m. ET.

Scientists initially calculated that it would return to Earth in 2034; however, the current solar cycle proved far more active than expected.

Since the space debris travels at extreme velocities, scientists have not been able to predict the exact time of its fall. NASA said the chances of the satellite falling in a populous place are very slim, around 0.02 percent.

The chances of anyone getting harmed by the falling debris was roughly 1 in 4,200. Most of its structure is expected to burn upon reentery into the atmosphere.

Since most of our planet is covered by oceans, any piece of the satellite which survives reentry would likely splash somewhere in water.

The probe launched with its twin, Probe Allen B, on August 30, 2012, was used to collect data regarding the role of charged particles, present in the Earth’s magnetic field, in protecting the planet from cosmic radiation, solar storms, and solar winds harmful to humans and technology.

The spacecraft ran out of fuel in 2019 and since then it has been declared redundant by NASA.