A 14-year-old NASA satellite that wasn't supposed to return until 2034 crashed into Earth's atmosphere on Wednesday morning, dragged down eight years early by the most hyperactive solar cycle in recent memory.
The US Space Force confirmed Van Allen Probe A plunged back to Earth at 6:37 a.m. on 11 March over the eastern Pacific Ocean. NASA said most of the 1,323-pound (600 kg) spacecraft burned up during re-entry, though some components may have survived the descent.
