Imagine a school bus. Now imagine it plummeting from the sky — in your backyard.
Now you know how the people of Tahiti must have felt when the Chinese space station Tiangong-1 plummeted back to earth.
Don’t touch the debris. The rocket fuel is toxic.
Scientists monitoring the craft’s disintegrating orbit had forecast the craft would mostly burn up and would pose only the slightest of risks to people. Analysis from the Beijing Aerospace Control Center showed it had mostly burned up.
Authorities said any debris from the space station would be carrying hydrazine – a highly toxic rocket fuel – and warned people to refrain from touching it or inhaling its fumes.
Source: DailyMail
It probably won’t hit anyone.
The engines stopped working, but it’s “NOT” out of control, says China.
Riiiiiight.
Tiangong-1 – or ‘Heavenly Palace’ – was placed in orbit in September 2011 and had been slated for a controlled re-entry, but it ceased functioning in March 2016 and space enthusiasts have been bracing for its fiery return since.
The station played host to two crewed missions and served as a test platform for perfecting docking procedures and other operations. Its last crew departed in 2013 and contact with it was cut in 2016.
During its brief lifespan, it hosted Chinese astronauts on several occasions as they performed experiments and even taught a class that was broadcast into schools across the country.
Tiangong-1 – or ‘Heavenly Palace’ – was placed in orbit in September 2011 and had been slated for a controlled re-entry, but it ceased functioning in March 2016 and space enthusiasts have been bracing for its fiery return since.
The station played host to two crewed missions and served as a test platform for perfecting docking procedures and other operations. Its last crew departed in 2013 and contact with it was cut in 2016.
During its brief lifespan, it hosted Chinese astronauts on several occasions as they performed experiments and even taught a class that was broadcast into schools across the country.
Source: DailyMail
