NASA says a 1,300-pound satellite will crash into Earth Tuesday or Wednesday
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NASA says a 1,300-pound satellite will crash into Earth Tuesday or Wednesday

  • March 10, 2026

(CNN) — NASA says it’s highly unlikely anyone will get hurt when a 1,300-pound spacecraft crashes into Earth soon.

NASA predicts the Van Allen Probe A will re-enter Earth’s atmosphere Tuesday night at about 7:45 p.m. ET.

The agency says the re-entry time could vary by 24 hours, and it’s not sure where debris will fall.

NASA predicts the Van Allen Probe A will re-enter Earth's atmosphere Tuesday night.NASA predicts the Van Allen Probe A will re-enter Earth’s atmosphere Tuesday night.(JHU/APL, NASA via CNN Newsource)

NASA says most of the satellite should burn up in the atmosphere.

But the pieces that survive have about a 1-in-4,200 chance of harming someone — about a 0.02% chance.

The satellite has spent almost 14 years in space.

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