This spacecraft china of several tons will crash against the Land in a little – The View

A spacecraft of 10.4 metres long and 8.5 tonnes in orbit 370 km of us will fall in 2017. The where, when and how are not as clear.

it Is "Palace in heaven", the space station that China released in 2011 and is part of its ambitious phardware space.

But for a long time that Tiangong-1 (the name in chinese of the laboratory space) seemed to have rebelled from the scientists on the Ground.

although the chinese authorities have not spoken of a loss of control of the engine, last week the director of the office of space engineering, manned, Wu Ping, confirmed in a press conference that the station is not manned it will fall at some point in the second half of 2017.

The director of the office of engineering space activities of China ensures that the drop will not affect the air activity.

"The module is not manned largely has succeeded in his mission. Based on our calculations and analysis, the majority of the parts of the space laboratory will be burned during the fall", and added that it is unlikely to affect aviation activities, or will cause corruption on the earth.

what Loss of control?

The astrophysicist of the Harvard university’s Jonathan McDowell interprets this announcement as a loss of control of the station, since his return to Earth will be "natural".

"you can’t Really steer these things," he told the british newspaper The Guardian. "Even a few days before your re-entry (into the atmosphere) we will not know when it will fall, beyond a space of time of about six or seven hours."

But an expert from Harvard feared that the fall to produce a rain of metal.

"do Not know when will fall translates into not knowing where it will fall", he added. For the expert, the change is smallest in the atmospheric conditions can give a boost to the ship and make that instead of landing on a continent, land in another.

The concern of McDowell is that, while the greater part of this beast metal will melt in its passage through the atmosphere, densest parts, like the engine of the rocket, you may not burn completely.

"there Will be bumps as of 100kg," he explained to the british newspaper The Guardian. "Enough for heavy hitting".

ongoing Monitoring

The expert ruled out that there is a widespread damage, perhaps the self of someone or a rain of metal parts.

Another Palace, heavenly is already on its way to replace the lab fallen.

But Wu Ping said that "China has always valued the management of the space junk, doing the research and evidence in mitigation and cleanup of space debris".

According to the chinese news agency Xinhua, Tiangon-1 is "intact," and the authorities will continue, "monitoreándola and strengthening early-warning of possible coalitions with objects".

"if necessary, China will provide a forecast of the fall and will report at the international level" said Wu Ping.

Palace of Heavenly will be replaced by the Palace of heavenly II -or Tiangong-2 – which was launched at the beginning of this month and is expected to become a station manned by 2022.