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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Science
Richard Luscombe

Parts of giant Nasa satellite to crash to Earth, posing low risk

Satellite above clouds and blue sky
Artist’s rendition of Van Allen probes. Photograph: NASA

Parts of a giant Nasa satellite will crash to Earth on Tuesday evening, the US space agency is warning – but the chance of being struck is extremely low.

According to the US military’s space force, the roughly 1,323lb (600kg) spacecraft, one of a pair of twin probes launched in 2012 to investigate the Van Allen radiation belt, is estimated to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere at about 7.45pm EDT.

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