Returns from his space walk

MIAMI (EFE).— The Van Allen Probe A probe, which studied the Earth’s radiation belts, reentered the atmosphere without causing damage, almost 14 years after its launch.

According to the Space Force, the re-entry, the day before yesterday, was “over the eastern Pacific Ocean region,” several years ahead of schedule. “NASA expected that most of the ship would disintegrate as it passed through the atmosphere, although some components may have survived,” the Space Force detailed.

The ship, weighing approximately 600 kilograms, was about eight years ahead of schedule due to the intense activity of the current solar cycle.

In 2024, scientists confirmed that solar maximum had been reached, increasing atmospheric drag on the probe beyond initial calculations. NASA reported no harm to people on Earth from re-entry.

On the other hand, the agency announced yesterday that it will try to launch the Artemis II mission into lunar orbit on April 1, after solving the failures that led to its postponement in February and after considering the challenges in reviewing the flight preparation.

“We are on track for a launch as early as April 1 and are working to meet that date,” said NASA Associate Deputy Administrator Lori Glaze.

Artemis II will take four astronauts to lunar orbit, which will be the closest human approach to the Moon in more than half a century. The transfer of the rocket to the launch pad will be next Thursday the 19th, added Glaze, one day after the members of the mission begin the mandatory quarantine at the agency’s facilities in Houston.

NASA also indicated that it will not carry out the general fuel test, usual before each launch, since it already did it twice in February, and each attempt “reduces a little life” from the tanks.

The Artemis II astronauts are Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen, who will travel on Friday the 27th to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, from where the launch will take place.

The mission was initially scheduled to take off in February, but was postponed due to problems in the spacecraft’s helium supply when it was already at the launch site.

Related