China’s Tiangong-1 Will Crash Back Earth on April 2: 5 Things To Know About The Space Station
Scientists assure that its crash back won’t harm the planet. Here are few important points that you need to know about China’s Tiangong-1 resume to Earth.
The European Space Agency (ESA) has said that the defunct Space Station created by China, Tiangong-1 will crash back into Earth’s surface on April 2. The 40-foot long space station will re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere between April 1 and April 2, 2018 as per the Universal Time Coordinated (UTC). The delay was announced by the ESA which monitoring the station’s movement. But exactly when and where the station will fall remains unknown. Scientists have further informed the danger to the planet of being hit is tiny, as the module is likely to burn up in the atmosphere during its reentry.
Tiangong-1 was placed into orbit in 2011 was due for a controlled reentry but stopped working in March 2016. Without its engines, it is unable to change course. And the Chinese government informed about the defunct to the United Nations in May. However, scientists assure that its crash back won’t harm the planet. Here are few important points that you need to know about China’s Tiangong-1 resume to Earth:
1. Tiangong-1 is visible to the unaided eye and you can spot it if only you know where the 40-foot long space station is set to crash in.
2. Tiangong-1 won’t be the biggest spacecraft ever to fall uncontrolled from the sky. The last space outpost to drop was Russia’s 135-ton Mir station on 2001, which made a controlled landing with most parts breaking up in the atmosphere.
3. Experts further informed that most of Tiangong-1 will break apart and burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere, but some of the space lab’s hardier pieces will probably survive reentry. And the flaming space chunks could also splash down the ocean.
4. As per the Tiangong-1’s orbital details, it will fall somewhere between 43 degrees north latitude and 43 degrees south in the Dakota-Nebraska border of the United States all the way down to the Australian state Tasmania.
5. In case, an individual stumble across a piece of smoking space wreckage, don’t pick it or breathe in any fumes.
Robert Pearlman, editor in chief of the space history was quoted in space.com saying, “Any pieces of Tiangong-1 that reach the ground, regardless of where they fall, remain property of China until the Chinese government explicitly relinquishes ownership.”
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 01, 2018 04:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).