China’s space station to fall on earth this week
BEIJING: Scientists are closely monitoring the rapid descent of a defunct Chinese space station’s debris that is expected to burn and crash into earth over the next 24 hours or more.
The Tiangong-1, China’s first prototype of a manned space station, ended its mechanical life in space in March 2016, and is expected to re-enter earth’s orbit between Sunday and Thursday.
Launched in 2011, the Tiangong-1 or “Heavenly Palace” was a big step in China’s ambitious space programme, which envisages setting up a manned space station by 2022.
The eight-tonne station has hosted Chinese astronauts and the country’s first woman astronaut was on it for a few days in 2012.
Most of the station will burn up in space but some of the debris could hit the earth, scientists say.
There is no clarity on exactly where the remains of the space station could fall. China had confirmed in September 2016 that it had lost contact with it.
Chinese scientists were quoted by state media as saying that there was no need to worry as the remains won’t crash into earth like meteors do in Hollywood movies but it would be more like a meteorite shower.
“China's first space lab Tiangong-1 will mostly be burnt up in the atmosphere and it's highly unlikely to cause any damage on the ground,” an article published by China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) said.
“There is no need for people to worry about its re-entry into the atmosphere. It won't crash to the Earth fiercely, as in sci-fi movie scenarios, but will look more like a shower of meteors,” the article, quoted by official news agency, Xinhua, said.
“Tiangong-1, with a weight of about eight tons, is much smaller the 80-ton Skylab and 140-ton Mir, and is unlikely to affect aviation activities or cause damage on the ground,” the article added.