A map showing the area between 42.8 degrees north and 42.8 degrees south latitudes (in green), over which Tiangong-1 could re-enter. The graph at left shows population density.
Posted on 03/03/2018 2:06:48 AM PST by LibWhacker
The European Space Agency (ESA) has issued a new re-entry forecast for China's Tiangong-1 space lab.
The 8.5-ton spacecraft is now expected to fall into Earth's atmosphere between March 24 and April 19, though ESA officials stressed that this is a rough estimate.
"Re-entry will take place anywhere between 43 degrees north and 43 degrees south (e.g. Spain, France, Portugal, Greece, etc.)" latitude, officials with the Space Debris Office at ESA’s European Space Operations Center in Darmstadt, Germany, wrote in an update last week. "Areas outside of these latitudes can be excluded. At no time will a precise time/location prediction from ESA be possible."
Tiangong-1 was the first space lab built by China. It launched in late September 2011, to help the nation master the technologies needed to construct and operate a crewed space station. China aims to have such a station up and running in Earth orbit by the 2020s.
A map showing the area between 42.8 degrees north and 42.8 degrees south latitudes (in green), over which Tiangong-1 could re-enter. The graph at left shows population density.
The first Chinese orbital docking occurred between Tiangong-1 and an unpiloted Shenzhou spacecraft on Nov. 2, 2011. Two crewed missions later visited Tiangong-1: Shenzhou 9 and Shenzhou 10, which launched in June 2012 and June 2013, respectively.
I’m at 42.3N. Don’t Like that probability curve in the right.
Been a long time ago Skylab came down, a similar situation. IIRC they had enough control and propellant to force it down over the Pacific, the most water and least land. The Australians were not happy about that, being in the target area.
Apparently the Chinese have no control over their junk at all?
Chinese products , use once then throw away ,LOl
It is estimated that lightning strikes the earth over 400,000 times a day. So you are much more likely to be struck by lightning, if that makes you feel any better.
Not a lot to the lab, pretty small with no ablative covering. I dou't think much of anything past the docking module/rings make it to ground.
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