The Chinese space station Tiangong-1 will re-enter the atmosphere on Monday, according to the China Office of Manned Space Flight (CMSEO). A statement from the entity said that the module is currently in an orbit at an average height of 189.5 kilometers from the Earth’s surface. CMSEO is the entity responsible for engineering and administration of manned space flights in China and is dependent on the Chinese People’s Army.
The Chinese government will keep in touch with the UN
The Chinese government said that the possibility of spacecraft’s debris falling to Earth is minimal, as experts trust that it will disintegrate as it passes through the atmosphere.
“We have informed the United Nations about the (approximate) date of re-entry, and we will increase efforts to coordinate with them transparently during the process,” Foreign Ministry’s spokesman Lu Kang said at a press conference.
“If necessary, other countries or organizations would also be contacted”, Lu said, adding that China “gives importance to the issue and deals with it responsibly, in accordance with international regulations.”
The Chinese space station Tiangong-1 could fall on Africa, South America, Australia, and southern Europe
The Tiangong-1, the first step taken by China in the face of a permanent orbital station of its own, has been out of control for months and since the end of last year, some space agencies expressed their fear that the Chinese space station’s remains would impact on the Earth’s surface.
China predicts, on the contrary, that the whole apparatus will be burned and pulverized by friction with the atmosphere when it enters it.
The zone where the Tiangong-1 could re-enter is a very large part of the planet that includes all of Africa, almost all of South America, Australia, a good part of Asia and southern Europe, including Spain, Italy, and Greece.
The Chinese have big plans for their future in space
China launched its new space laboratory, Tiangong-2, in September of 2016, which it hosted between October and November the first manned mission with two astronauts.
The Asian giant plans for space exploration begin in 2019 with the construction of a space station consisting of several modules, whose conclusion is scheduled for 2022.
In the meantime, all the attention is heading towards the Tiangong-1 Chinese space station fall on Earth, which is now estimated to happen on Monday.
