537.1 minutes The Van Allen Probes (formerly known as the Radiation Belt Storm Probes[1] (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.[2] 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.[3] The probes were launched on 30 August 2012.