Current Affairs - Technology - Discussion

Van Allen Probe A, part of NASA’s Van Allen Probes mission, re-entered Earth’s atmosphere on March 11 after nearly 14 years since its launch in 2012. The mission was conducted by NASA and managed by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. The spacecraft studied the Van Allen radiation belts, which are regions of charged particles trapped by Earth’s magnetic field. One of the mission’s major discoveries was the identification of a temporary third radiation belt formed during intense solar activity. The data collected helps scientists understand space weather and its effects on satellites, astronauts, communication systems, and power grids on Earth.