Van Allen Belt
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NASA
NASA’s Van Allen Probe A to Re-Enter Atmosphere
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…
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NASA
Artemis I Radiation Measurements Validate Orion Safety for Astronauts
NASA’s Orion spacecraft is designed to keep astronauts safe in deep space, protecting them from the unforgiving environment far from Earth. During the uncrewed Artemis I mission, researchers from NASA, along with several collaborators, flew payloads onboard Orion to measure potential radiation exposure to astronauts. Radiation measurements were taken inside Orion by 5,600 passive sensors and 34 active radiation detectors during its…
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NASA
Innovative Instrument Reveals Hidden Features Deep Inside the Van Allen Radiation Belts
A new instrument is using advanced detection techniques and leveraging an orbit with specific characteristics to increase our understanding of the Van Allen belts—regions surrounding Earth that contain energetic particles that can endanger both robotic and human space missions. Recently, the instrument provided a unique view of changes to this region that were brought on by an intense magnetic storm…
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