Chinese space station Tiangong-1 set to crash on Earth

[Brian G Turner]

China's prototype space station, Tiangong-1, is currently in an out of control descent that appears to have worsened faster than expected - and could come crashing to Earth within "a few months".

While most of the space station is expected to disintegrated on entry through the atmosphere, there remains the danger of large pieces of the 8.5 ton station making it through:

Tiangong-1: Chinese space station will crash to Earth within months

 

[mosaix]

I would love to be able to watch it break up. Must be spectacular.

 

[BAYLOR]

I would love to be able to watch it break up. Must be spectacular.

Some of that debris could survive reentry.

 

[Brian G Turner]

I was tempted to joke that a new star might arrive at Christmas - but there always remains the danger, no matter how small, that some of the debris might hit populated areas.

 

[HanaBi]

As the article alludes, space junk (man-made or otherwise) enters our atmosphere almost daily, most of which burns up before it reaches land.

But just in case, is there still time to call out Bruce "Armageddon" Willis?

 

[Brian G Turner]

Interesting follow-up article on the BBC, which talks about Poles of Accessibility. In other words, the area of the Pacific Ocean where old satellites go to die, including Mir - and probably the ISS: The place spacecraft go to die

 

[Parson]

When you think about it, that's an obvious choice for satellites to "ditch." Interesting article! Thanks for sharing.