Since last year, China’s Tiangong-1 space station has been scheduled to fall to Earth at some point this year. Now, breaking news says that the time is finally nigh, with the big event set to happen sometime this weekend.
Science News reports on the falling space station, the first in China’s space-fairing history. Based on estimates by the European Space Agency’s Space Debris Office, the station should fall to Earth at some point during the March 31 and April 1 weekend.
After launching in 2011, Chinese astronauts visited Tiangong-1 twice during 2012 and 2013, planning to decommission the craft after two years. During the second and final visit to the station, it was shutdown and put into sleep mode for a controlled reentry and recovery. However, the station soon went out of control, with China no longer being able to steer it or attempt a safe reentry. By 2016, it was predicted that the station would fall to Earth in 2017 (though this turned out to be a year late).
At only 10.4 meters long, much of the material will simply burn up during reentry. However, at least a few people might get a special surprise from the Easter Bunny in their backyards. That being said, it’s fairly difficult to predict exactly where the debris might land, with the ESA predicting locations between 42.8° N and 42.8° S with the ends more likely to be hit than anywhere in the middle.
This shouldn’t be cause for alarm, though, despite how large the potential touchdown area is. Scientists predict that it is extremely unlikely for anyone to actually be hit by the debris, claiming that it is significantly more likely for someone to be struck by lightning. Large portions of the area the station will hit are open ocean or otherwise uninhabited, as well, meaning that staying on dry land almost guarantees your safety in and of itself.
For more information on Tiangong-1 as it falls from orbit, check for updates by both the ESA and Chinese space agency on their websites.
