The
Van Allen Probes (formerly known as the
Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP)) are two
robotic spacecraft being used to study the
Van Allen radiation belts that surround Earth.
NASA is conducting the Van Allen Probes mission as part of the
Living With a Star program. Understanding the radiation belt environment and its variability has important practical applications in the areas of spacecraft operations, spacecraft system design, mission planning and astronaut safety. The probes were launched on August 30, 2012.