Nasa spacecraft crash lands back to Earth

A Nasa spacecraft weighing more than 600kg has crash landed back to Earth, almost 14 years after it was launched.

The Van Allen Probe A, which was launched in a pair in 2012, re-entered Earth's atmosphere near the Galapagos Islands in the eastern Pacific Ocean, at around 10:37 GMT on Wednesday.

Most of the spacecraft burnt up as it entered the atmosphere, but scientists think some parts will have survived.

The spacecraft's mission was originally designed to last for two years but continued for seven, until it ran out of fuel. Recently, the two probes have been in a wonky orbit around Earth.

The satellite and its twin - Van Allen Probe B - were named after the huge belts of radiation they were sent to gather data on in space.

The Van Allen belts surround the Earth like two enormous doughnuts and are made of highly charged particles.

They protect the Earth by trapping solar wind and cosmic radiation which is very harmful to humans and can damage technology.

Van Allen Probe B is not expected to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere before 2030.

The term satellite has a few meanings - it is a moon, planet or machine that orbits a planet or star.

For example, Earth is a satellite because it orbits the Sun.

But usually, and in this context, the word refers to a machine that is launched into space and moves around Earth.

Nasa always planned to dispose of the satellites by using the Earth's atmosphere to destroy them as they plummeted to Earth.

Getting rid of old spacecraft like this, ensures they aren't left to fly through space uncontrolled, where they could run the risk of colliding with active satellites or crafts such as the International Space Station.

Initially, Nasa predicted the spacecraft would return home 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," the space agency explained in a statement.