Space Regulatory Glossary Industry

Van Allen belts

/væn ˈælən bɛlts/ noun

1. Two concentric zones of charged particles trapped by Earth's magnetic field. The inner belt (1,000–6,000 km) consists primarily of high-energy protons; the outer belt (13,000-60,000 km) contains mainly high-energy electrons.
2. Satellites transiting or operating within the Van Allen belts face elevated radiation exposure that can degrade solar cells, damage electronics, and corrupt memory systems. Spacecraft design must account for total ionizing dose and single-event effects.

Origin Discovered by James Van Allen using data from the Explorer 1 satellite in 1958 — one of the first major scientific findings of the Space Age.

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