Posted on 03/27/2018 7:57:06 AM PDT by Red Badger
THE REMAINS of an out-of-control Chinese space station are expected to light up the sky with “fireballs” before crashing down to Earth within days.
China’s defunct space station, named Tiangong-1 or “heavenly place”, is expected to fall to Earth between March 30 and April 2, latest estimates suggest.
Most of the eight-tonne space probe, launched in 2011, should “burn up” in the atmosphere before crash landing, Chinese space officials say.
China’s space agency, CNSA, have never fully explained why Tiangong-1 "ceased functioning" on March 16 after reaching its "final phase of life".
According to space experts, the odds of being hit by debris from the rogue space station are astronomical, meaning the threat to human life is minimal.
Nevertheless, Chinese scientists do not know where and when Tiangong-1 will crash, describing its time-frame for re-entry as "highly variable".
MAPPED: Areas within the red line are most at risk from falling Tiangong-1 debris
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Orbiting at about 27,000km/h, Tiangong-1 could re-enter the atmosphere “anywhere between 43ºN and 43ºS” – latitudes that include large swathes of the planet.
"It is impossible to name the exact re-entry location at this stage", an official, who was not named, told China’s Global Times newspaper.
At particular risk in the northern hemisphere are northern parts of the US, including Boston, Des Moines, Detroit, Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Salt Lake City.
Florence, Italy, Monaco City and Sochi, Russia, are also in the higher risk region.
In the southern hemisphere, other cities which might be affected include Trelew, Argentina, Christchurch, New Zealand, and Sapporo, Japan.
In the history of spaceflight, no casualties due to falling space debris have ever been confirmed.
Witnesses may potentially see a "series of fireballs streaking across the sky” if skies are clear, according to Markus Dolensky, of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research.
"It is now nearing its fiery demise as it gradually gets slowed down by the fringes of the Earth's upper atmosphere," he said.
Alan Duffy, astrophysics researcher at Swinburne University of Technology in Australia, said China’s lack of transparency has made it difficult to analyse the impact.
“The international community doesn't know what the craft is made of, and that makes estimating the danger more challenging, as hardened fuel containers could reach the ground while lightweight panels won't," he said.
On September 14, 2016, China made an official statement predicting Tiangong-1 would reenter the atmosphere in the latter half of 2017.
The Tiangong-1 spacecraft launched with the aim of using the craft to set up a larger space station.
Oh NO, not Des Moines!
Oh, the huge Manatee!
If it fell on Mecca, they’d worship it like a rock.
Is this a “feature” kind of like Fireworks?
Where’s my tiny Wile E. Coyote umbrella?
“How many Dead Chinese are onboard ?”
Three: Pilot Sum Ting Wong, navigator We Tu Lo and communications Ho Lee Kow.
Geography is hard!...................
At least Texas is safe.
-PJ
“Love the map of possible landing areas.
Basically the entire populated world.”
Mexico City, one of the biggest, overpopulated cesspools on the planet, is not on their map because it is a shithole.
Its current track is poised to hit my house............it’s on the map!
Lol. I remember that. Was hilarious.
Breathed attended UT while I was there. His cartoons in the university paper were hilarious. It was pre-Opus
Come On China!!!
It’s not enough that you lost control of your space station and it’s going to crash into the earth.
But you have to launch fireballs at us before it crashes?
LoL!
Do not light when wet.................
Poor Canada...feeling all left out. *sigh*. Always the bridesmaid...
Hey, they had a couple of Russian satellites crash there back in the 80’s and 90’s................
“According to space experts, the odds of being hit by debris from the rogue space station are astronomical, meaning the threat to human life is minimal.”
Shouldn’t that be: ‘the odd of being hit...are infinitesimal’?
JMO, but I really don’t buy into hype from this UK-tabloid source.
YMMV.
Touché, my friend...but I bet they still feel left out! It’s all about feelings, ya know. ;)
I'm rooting for a gator.
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