NASA spacecraft lands in the Pacific Ocean near the Galapagos Islands

"The 590-kilogram (1,300 lbs) Van Allen Probe A crashed down in the East Pacific Ocean near the Galapagos Islands at 10:37 GMT (06:37 EDT) yesterday morning. NASA says it expected most of the spacecraft to burn up in the atmosphere, but some parts may have survived re-entry and reached the surface. Due to the remote location, around 680 miles (1,100 km) due south of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, it is extremely unlikely that the satellite would have harmed anyone."

"Originally launched for a two-year mission, the Van Allen Probe A and its twin Van Allen Probe B were launched into orbit in August 2012. For over six years, the twin spacecraft travelled through the Van Allen Belts, the invisible, doughnut-shaped rings of highly charged radioactive particles that surround Earth. No one had expected that the probes would be able to survive and keep gathering data for more than two years, but both were still delivering scientific insights until 2019."

"Dr Langbroek adds that the re-entry side had been particularly difficult for space agencies to predict due to the satellite's highly elliptical orbit. This means that the probe only slowed down as it briefly dipped into the atmosphere at the closest point of its oval-shaped orbit."

The 590-kilogram Van Allen Probe A satellite re-entered Earth's atmosphere on schedule and crashed into the East Pacific Ocean near the Galapagos Islands. NASA anticipated most of the spacecraft would burn up during re-entry, though some components may have survived. The remote crash location, approximately 680 miles south of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, made human casualties extremely unlikely, with NASA estimating only a one in 4,200 chance of harm. The re-entry proved difficult to predict due to the satellite's highly elliptical orbit, which caused it to slow down only briefly when dipping into the atmosphere. Originally launched in August 2012 for a two-year mission, Van Allen Probe A exceeded expectations by continuing to gather scientific data until 2019.

Read at Mail Online