The American probe re-entered Earth's atmosphere early due to solar activity.

NASA recently announced that its “Van Allen A” probe re-entered Earth’s atmosphere on the 11th, several years earlier than the originally expected 2034. The agency stated that increased solar activity caused enhanced atmospheric drag, accelerating the probe’s orbital decay. The U.S. Space Force confirmed that “Van Allen A” re-entered the atmosphere over the eastern Pacific Ocean at approximately 2 degrees south latitude and 255.3 degrees east longitude on the 11th, Eastern Time. NASA estimates that most of the probe’s components burned up during re-entry, but a small number of parts may have survived the process.

It is reported that “Van Allen A” and its “twin” probe “Van Allen B” were launched in August 2012, primarily to study the high-energy charged particle regions above Earth—the Van Allen radiation belts—to help predict how solar activity affects satellites, astronauts, and systems such as communications, navigation, and power grids on Earth. These two probes were initially designed for a two-year mission, but the mission ended in 2019 due to fuel exhaustion and the inability to adjust their orientation toward the Sun.

NASA initially analyzed that these two probes would re-enter Earth’s atmosphere around 2034. However, because the current solar activity cycle is much more active than expected, the Sun entered a maximum phase in 2024, triggering intense space weather events. These conditions caused the probes to experience greater atmospheric drag than previously estimated, leading to their early re-entry. NASA stated that “Van Allen B” is expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere after 2030. (CCTV News)