Van Allen Probes
NASA’s twin Van Allen Probes, originally called the Radiation Belt Storm Probes, measured the structure and dynamics of Earth’s radiation belts and the behavior of energetic particles under changing solar conditions.
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Identity
- Aliases
- Radiation Belt Storm ProbesRBSPRBSP-ARBSP-B
- Name
- Van Allen Probes
- Status
- completed
Details
- Astronauts
- -
- Description
- NASA’s twin Van Allen Probes, originally called the Radiation Belt Storm Probes, measured the structure and dynamics of Earth’s radiation belts and the behavior of energetic particles under changing solar conditions.
- Destination
- Near-equatorial elliptical Earth orbit ranging from approximately 1.5 to 6 Earth radii for twin-probe measurements of the Van Allen radiation belts and energetic particles under changing solar conditions
- End Date
- 2019-10-18
- Launch Site
- Outcome
- The Van Allen Probes operated for more than seven years, exceeding their planned two-year mission. They discovered a temporary third radiation belt and identified physical mechanisms that accelerate particles or remove them from the belts, including interactions with plasma waves. Probe B was retired in July 2019 and Probe A on October 18, 2019 as propellant supplies were exhausted, leaving a long archive of coordinated radiation-belt measurements.
- Programs
- Start Date
- 2012-08-30
- Vehicle Families
Links
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- August 15, 2026 at 09:07:30 UTC
- Updated Time
- October 29, 2026 at 13:17:49 UTC
Other
- Affiliations
- Space Stations
- -
- Vehicles
- -