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NASA’s Van Allen Probe A is expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere almost 14 years after launch. From 2012 to 2019, the spacecraft and its twin, Van Allen Probe B, flew through the Van Allen belts, rings of charged particles trapped by Earth’s magnetic field, to understand how particles were gained and lost. The belts shield Earth from cosmic radiation, solar storms, and the constantly streaming solar wind that are harmful to humans and can damage technology, so understanding them is important. 

As of March 9, 2026, the U.S. Space Force predicted that the roughly 1,323-pound spacecraft will re-enter the atmosphere at approximately 7:45 p.m. EDT on March 10, 2026, with an uncertainty of +/- 24 hours. NASA expects most of the spacecraft to burn up as it travels through the atmosphere, but some components are expected to survive re-entry. The risk of harm coming to anyone on Earth is low — approximately 1 in 4,200. NASA and Space Force will continue to monitor the re-entry and update predictions. 

Originally designed for a two-year mission, the Van Allen Probes A and B launched on Aug. 30, 2012, and gathered unprecedented data on Earth’s two permanent radiation belts — named for scientist James Van Allen — for almost seven years. NASA ended the mission after the two spacecraft ran out of fuel and were no longer able to orient themselves toward the Sun.  

The Van Allen Probes were the first spacecraft designed to operate and gather scientific data for many years within the belts, a region around our planet where most spacecraft and astronaut missions minimize time in order to avoid damaging radiation.  

The NASA mission, managed and operated by Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab, made several major discoveries about how the radiation belts operate during its lifetime, including the first data showing the existence of a transient third radiation belt, which can form during times of intense solar activity.  

When the mission ended in 2019, analysis found that the spacecraft would re-enter Earth’s atmosphere in 2034. However, those calculations were made before the current solar cycle, which has proven far more active than expected. In 2024, scientists confirmed the Sun had reached its solar maximum, triggering intense space weather events. These conditions increased atmospheric drag on the spacecraft beyond initial estimates, resulting in an earlier-than-expected re-entry. 

Data from NASA’s Van Allen Probes mission still plays an important role in understanding space weather and its effects. By reviewing archived data from the mission, scientists study the radiation belts surrounding Earth, which are key to predicting how solar activity impacts satellites, astronauts, and even systems on Earth such as communications, navigation, and power grids. By observing these dynamic regions, the Van Allen Probes contributed to improving forecasts of space weather events and their potential consequences. 

Van Allen Probe B, the twin of the re-entering spacecraft, is not expected to re-enter before 2030. 

The purpose of the Subsonic Flight Demonstrator (SFD) project is to engage with industry and other government organizations to identify, select, and mature key airframe technologies, such as new wing designs, that have a high probability of transition to the next generation single-aisle seat class airliner. 

Moving technologies from a research environment to a production environment can be a real challenge for industry manufacturers and frequently these promising technologies do not get adopted due to a variety of technical and economic risks.  

NASA in partnership with industry plan to: 

• Develop and flight test an advanced airframe configuration and related technologies to dramatically reduce aircraft fuel burn.  

• Obtain ground data that will be used by the NASA/industry teams to validate the benefits of the new technologies.  

• Use the research results to help industry make decisions associated with next generation single-aisle airliner.  

SFD Project Leadership

Project Manager 

Sarah Waechter 

Deputy Project Manager 

Rich DeLoof 

Chief Engineer 

Dr. Renee Horton 

Technology Development 

Tony Washburn 

Program Planning and Control (PP&C) Lead 

Stephanie Hamrick 

IASP
ARMD

The FDC project conducts complex integrated small-scale flight research to validate the benefits of new technologies.

By modifying aircraft from FDC’s support fleet, the project enables aggressive, success-oriented flight campaign schedules. While many technologies are at mid-levels of technology readiness, the FDC project supports all phases of technology maturation.  

FDC’s support aircraft fleet enables safety chase and in-flight experimental measurements for a variety of NASA missions.

The project collaborates with academia, industry, and government organizations to leverage flight opportunities, and engages with NASA researchers and university students to bring innovative concepts to flight.  

The FDC project operates, sustains, and enhances other national flight research capabilities that enable complex high-risk flight research for both NASA and the aviation industry.

These capabilities are located at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards, California, and includes the Aeronautics Test Data Portal, Flight Loads Laboratory, the Dryden Aeronautical Test Range, and a suite of flight simulators.

The project leverages collaborative opportunities for flight testing from across the aeronautical industry. 

Flight Research Facilities

The FDC project validates benefits associated with critical technologies through focused flight experiments. Through the integration of appropriate flight test capabilities and assets — whether from NASA. other government agencies, or industry — FDC campaigns focus on aggressive, success-oriented schedules using the best collection of assets.

The FDC project supports tests of technology at all phases of maturation.

Flight Loads Laboratory

Simulation Lab

Research Aircraft Integration Facility

Dryden Aeronautical Test Range

Support Aircraft and Maintenance Operations

FDC

IASP  

Contact Information

This article is for students grades 5-8.

What is Pi?

Pi is a number. You might know it as 3.14 or the symbol π. But it’s way more than that!

What Makes Pi Special?

Pi is an irrational number. That means it goes on forever and it never repeats its sequence of numbers. Pi has been calculated to more than one trillion digits! But NASA scientists and engineers use far fewer digits in their calculations. Usually, the approximation of 3.14 is precise enough.

Pi is the circumference of a circle divided by the circle’s diameter. Pi is the same for any circle, no matter how big or small. It is a mathematical constant.

———————————————————————————————

Words to Know

irrational number: a number that cannot be expressed as a simple fraction

circumference: the distance around a circle

diameter: the distance of a straight line across the center of a circle

———————————————————————————————

How Is Pi Used?

Pi is used in lots of ways. It’s fundamental for calculating anything that involves circles, curves, or spheres. It’s used in geometry, physics, engineering, and even computer science.

How Does NASA Use Pi?

NASA missions depend on pi. Let’s look at a few examples.

Astronauts returning home from the International Space Station use parachutes to slow their spacecraft down for a safe landing. But just how big do the parachutes need to be? NASA uses pi to calculate the circular area required to slow a spacecraft as it moves through the atmosphere.

Planetary scientists use pi to learn about the materials inside a planet or asteroid. They use pi to determine the object’s volume. Combined with the object’s mass, they can determine the density of the object. Since we know the densities of planetary materials like rock, ice, and metal, scientists can make informed guesses about what the planet or asteroid might be made of.

Did you know that spacecraft fuel tanks are usually sphere-shaped? Rocket scientists use pi to figure out how much fuel a spacecraft will need. They also use pi to compute how much fuel is available in spacecraft tanks and how quickly that fuel travels through their cylindrical fuel lines.

To learn more ways pi helps NASA explore our home planet and beyond, check out 18 Ways NASA Uses Pi.

Career Corner

Are you interested in a career that uses pi? Many different occupations use this mathematical wonder. Here are a few examples:

• Manufacturing technician: Turning designs into reality takes skilled technicians. Fabrication and assembly of robotic equipment and spacecraft parts often involve curves that must be precisely calculated. Being able to follow intricate instructions is key. Trade school training and skills such as operating forklifts and heavy machinery may be required.
• Mars rover driver: Driving a rover on Mars is not like driving a car on Earth. There are no steering wheels on Mars rovers. Instead, operators on Earth send commands to the rovers. These might include turning wheels or moving a robotic arm, and those functions use degrees calculated using pi. College degrees in robotics and software engineering might lead to this career.
• Planetary scientist: What are objects in our solar system made of? And where did the planets, moons, asteroids, and comets come from? Planetary scientists use pi to answer these questions and more as they study our celestial neighborhood. A college degree is key to being an expert in this field, but subject areas can vary from physics to astronomy, or even geology.

Explore More

How Many Decimals of Pi Do We Need Anyway?
The NASA Pi Day Challenge

On Monday, NASA announced Bradley Flick, director of NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, will retire Thursday, March 19, after a nearly 40-year career advancing aeronautics and flight research.

Flick began his NASA journey in 1986 as a flight systems engineer and rose through the ranks to lead the center. His career spanned historic achievements by NASA, bookended by the groundbreaking X‑29 forward-swept wing aircraft and the first flight of the X‑59 quiet supersonic technology aircraft and including many other experimental flight research and airborne science projects in support of NASA and the nation.

“Brad’s career reflects the kind of disciplined engineering and steady leadership NASA relies on to tackle difficult problems,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “For nearly four decades, he contributed to some of the agency’s most challenging flight research efforts—from the X-29 through the first flight of the X-59—and helped strengthen the team and capabilities at Armstrong along the way. NASA is grateful for his service and the example he’s set for the next generation of engineers and flight test professionals.”

After earning a bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineering from Clarkson University, Flick joined NASA, working on the F/A-18 High Alpha Research Vehicle project. In 1988, he moved to the Operations Engineering branch, where he played a lead role in developing experimental systems including thrust vectoring control, emergency electrical and hydraulic systems, and the spin recovery parachute system. He also served as mission controller for about 100 HARV research flights.

He later earned a master’s degree in engineering management from Rochester Institute of Technology, which supported his progression through increasingly responsible leadership roles. Before his appointment as center director on Dec. 5, 2022, following a period as acting director, Flick held leadership positions spanning engineering and operations, including Flight Systems branch chief, acting associate director for Flight Operations, center chief engineer (where he chaired the Airworthiness and Flight Safety Review Board), deputy director and director for Research and Engineering, and deputy center director.

Flick’s leadership and technical expertise shaped flight research at NASA. His work advanced aeronautics and pushed the boundaries of aviation technology. As NASA continues to lead innovations in sustainable aviation and supersonic flight, his contributions will remain an integral part of that legacy.

Troy Asher will serve as acting center director, effective Friday, March 20. Asher previously served as director, Flight Operations, at NASA Armstrong.

For more about NASA’s missions, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov

-end-

Bethany Stevens / Cheryl Warner
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
bethany.c.stevens@nasa.gov / cheryl.m.warner@nasa.gov

Dede Dinius
Armstrong Flight Research Center, California
661-276-5701
darin.l.dinius@nasa.gov

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