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Chinese Space Station Tiangong-1

Update four/2/eighteen:As predicted, the Chinese space station hit the atmosphere over the weekend. Specifically, Tiangong-ane reentered the atmosphere at eight:sixteen PM EDT Dominicus, April 1. Nosotros knew the station would re-enter betwixt 42.8 degrees north and south latitude, but the longitude was unclear until right before the end. The station concluded up coming downward over Pacific Ocean. Cathay'south space agency lost control of the station in 2022, but information technology had already been placed in hibernation mode for long-term observation at that point.

The Fraunhofer Institute for High Frequency Physics and Radar Technology captured the above radar image of Tiangong -i at an distance of 100 miles every bit it fabricated its terminal tumbled into the atmosphere. It is believed that the bus-sized spacecraft broke up into small fragments before impacting the ocean.

While Tiangong-ane is no more, Prc already has some other abode in space. It previously launched the Tiangong-2 space station and plans for more manned based in the time to come.

Original mail service 3/22/xviii:

China didn't intend for the Tiangong-i space station to terminal forever, but information technology likewise didn't desire the station to plummet into the atmosphere randomly. After China lost control of the aging space platform, scientists around the world set up to work tracing its position to find out when and where it would reenter the atmosphere. Nosotros've got it narrowed downwards a petty today. Dr Marco Langbroek, who has been watching Tiangong-1 closely, says it'll come down in the next week or so.

The Chinese space bureau launched Tiangong-ane in 2022 with the intention to carry a series of short-term manned missions. It measures 34.1 feet (10.4 meters) in length and weighs over eighteen,753 pounds (viii,506 kg). The primary goal was to examination orbital rendezvous and docking technology that would be vital to futurity Chinese space missions. Manned missions went to Tiangong-1 in 2022 and 2022, with the latter setting a record for Prc's longest manned space mission at 15 days. The record was after broken by the coiffure of Tiangong-2, who were on lath for thirty days.

After that second mission to Tiangong-one, the module was set to slumber mode. China intended to track the station remotely for a few years to observe out how certain components aged. However, ground control lost contact with Tiangong-i in 2022. Since then, we've known it was destined to fall into the atmosphere and break apart. We just haven't had a specific window. At outset, scientists thought it would driblet in 2022, so the estimate was revised to early 2022.

Today, the best estimate nosotros have on Tiangong-1'south inevitable demise is March 31, plus or minus 3 days. According to Langbroek, a geomagnetic tempest gave the station a minor boost that delayed its breakdown, but it'south still heading down.

And so nosotros know roughly when China'south commencement space station volition crash, but nosotros don't yet know where. Information technology's very hard to predict that until it'due south within the atmosphere and on fire. The way Tiangong-1 breaks apart as information technology encounters increasingly thick layers of temper volition decide where it ends upward. On the plus side, the surface of Earth is 70 pct water, so information technology'due south more likely to reenter over water. The module is also non very large or robust, so most of its components will likely fire up. If anything does reach the ground, it won't be dangerous. The most you're likely to get out of Tiangong-1's demise is a cool fireball if you happen to be nearby. You lot probably won't, though.