China’s first space station, named Tiangong-1, meaning Heavenly Palace went out of control on March 16 of, 2016, and the nation revealed in 2017 that regaining control resulted in failure. It is confirmed that the 8.5-ton space lab will hit earth somewhere in March 2018 or early April.
European Space Agency is tracking the movement, and its latest info predicts the probability between the period of March 24 and April 19. According to scientists, the space lab will re-enter the earth’s atmosphere within 43 degrees north and 43 degrees south latitudes.
While this estimate seems imprecise, ESA said that it would land somewhere in northern latitudes. This location includes the Northern USA, parts of China, Spain, Greece, Portugal, a huge lot of Middle-East, and several other countries.
There’s more chance it will be destroyed by friction with the earth’s atmosphere. In fact, hopefully, the China space station will be completely incinerated before any debris lands on our planet’s surface. Although there’s a slight chance, it might hit the ground, especially in populated areas. Certain materials like chemicals in rocket fuel are, of course, toxic. China pointed out that it would be dangerous for anyone who stumbles on such materials.
Given that, space debris experts stated that the chance for the spacecraft to strike people is enormously small. Surviving pieces are expected to land in the ocean. Even so, in case anyone is/is harmed by any debris, international space law ensures compensation.
A spokesperson of NASA said that it is China’s responsibility if people or properties are harmed. A developed nation such as China losing control over its spacecraft is hard to accept! We hope nothing as such happens, and the spacecraft gets destroyed within the atmosphere, with the remaining debris dying into the ocean.
As the world is aware of the might happen occurrence, China might have definitely prepared for this, and the earlier report that Chinese Scientists are working on creating giant lasers for cleaning space junk in Earth’s orbit might be their preparation for this.
ESA and other space agencies regularly monitor movements to provide as much accurate prediction as possible for the time. Stay with us for the next update on this as it concerns your and others’ safety.
