China Finally Admits Their "Heavenly Palace" Space Station Is Plummeting Towards Earth

[Arkain2K]

China Confirms Its Space Station Is Falling Back to Earth
By Avery Thompson
Sep 19, 2016

In a press conference on Wednesday, Chinese officials appear to have confirmed what many observers have long suspected: that China is no longer in control of its space station.

China's Tiangong-1 space station has been orbiting the planet for about 5 years now, but recently it was decommissioned and the Chinese astronauts returned to the surface. In a press conference last week, China announced that the space station would be falling back to earth at some point in late 2017.

Normally, a decommissioned satellite or space station would be retired by forcing it to burn up in the atmosphere. This type of burn is controlled, and most satellite re-entries are scheduled to burn up over the ocean to avoid endangering people. However, it seems that China's space agency is not sure exactly when Tiangong-1 will re-enter the atmosphere, which implies that the station has been damaged somehow and China is no longer able to control it.

This is important because it means Tiangong-1 won't be able to burn up in a controlled manner. All we know is it will burn up at some point in late 2017, but it is impossible to predict exactly when or where. This means that there is a chance debris from the falling spacecraft could strike a populated area.

Fortunately, it's unlikely anyone will be injured. Most of the parts of the space station will burn up in the atmosphere, and the few that do make it to the ground probably won't land in any populated areas. (It's a big planet.) Still, watch the skies late next year. You never know what could be falling down on you.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/space/satellites/a22936/tiangong-falling-to-earth/

 

[IDL]

It will coincidentally fall on the white house

 

[Rod1]

Didnt China tested an ASAT a few years back? I guess its time for another test.

 

[HAWTRIDDUM]

It will fall on their aircraft carrier

 

[Deleted member 196663]

Production costs at the movie set must have risen.

 

[HereticBD]

Ummm.....shit?

 

[Kalmah]

I mean, it's pretty easy to guess where it will land based on it's orbit. Judging by the white line it isn't going to hit North America, most of South America (other than the southern part of Chile/Argentina), Europe, South East Asia, or Australia. My money's on the Pacific Ocean.

 

[JudoThrowFiasco]

Haha odd timing since they just successfully launched Tiangong-2 this week and confirmed it is in functional orbit today

 

[Cubo de Sangre]

Was the five year life-span expected or was it just that poorly built?

 

[JudoThrowFiasco]

Was the five year life-span expected or was it just that poorly built?

Was supposed to be deorbited in 2013 but due to the setbacks of the Tiangong program it got a 2 year extension -- in fact, the 3 phase of the station was supposed to be launched already -- but, as mentioned -- they just got phase 2 this week.

 

[Cubo de Sangre]

Was supposed to be deorbited in 2013 but due to the setbacks of the Tiangong program it got a 2 year extension -- in fact, the 3 phase of the station was supposed to be launched already -- but, as mentioned -- they just got phase 2 this week.

So it was projected at a two year life?

 

[Bald1]

It will coincidentally fall on the white house

Up unti this part -

"Fortunately, it's unlikely anyone will be injured. Most of the parts of the space station will burn up in the atmosphere, and the few that do make it to the ground probably won't land in any populated areas. (It's a big planet.)"

I was hoping it would land in Mecca. Damned Chinese can't even engineer a proper disaster!!1!

 

[Orgasmo]

It's already decommissioned, and they just launched a new module for their second space station. It's not like they're using it anymore.

The way they're disposing of it is very stereotypical of China by just dumping it in space without a controlled burn.

 

[JudoThrowFiasco]

So it was projected at a two year life?

Yep -- it was basically a "test" station to work on docking capabilities. I think it also had some observation instruments

 

[Cubo de Sangre]

Yep -- it was basically a "test" station to work on docking capabilities. I think it also had some observation instruments

Thanks. Space exploration ain't cheap!

 

[JudoThrowFiasco]

Thanks. Space exploration ain't cheap!

Definitely not -- the most expensive man made creation (ISS) is scheduled for decommissioning in 2020 -- so far the plan is to sink it but there is a push to see if the can keep it in orbit and privatize it and open it up to the public for either research purposes or as the first space based Vacation / tourist spot

 

[Cubo de Sangre]

...or as the first space based Vacation / tourist spot

Sounds like the best way to get rich fucks to fund it.

 

[Philo-Publius]

In a press conference on Wednesday, Chinese officials appear to have confirmed what many observers have long suspected: that China is no longer in control of its space station.

China's Tiangong-1 space station has been orbiting the planet for about 5 years now, but recently it was decommissioned and the Chinese astronauts returned to the surface. In a press conference last week, China announced that the space station would be falling back to earth at some point in late 2017.

Normally, a decommissioned satellite or space station would be retired by forcing it to burn up in the atmosphere. This type of burn is controlled, and most satellite re-entries are scheduled to burn up over the ocean to avoid endangering people. However, it seems that China's space agency is not sure exactly when Tiangong-1 will re-enter the atmosphere, which implies that the station has been damaged somehow and China is no longer able to control it.

This is important because it means Tiangong-1 won't be able to burn up in a controlled manner. All we know is it will burn up at some point in late 2017, but it is impossible to predict exactly when or where. This means that there is a chance debris from the falling spacecraft could strike a populated area.

Fortunately, it's unlikely anyone will be injured. Most of the parts of the space station will burn up in the atmosphere, and the few that do make it to the ground probably won't land in any populated areas. (It's a big planet.) Still, watch the skies late next year. You never know what could be falling down on you.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/space/satellites/a22936/tiangong-falling-to-earth/

How pissed would you be if that thing landed on your home?

 

[Orgasmo]

Definitely not -- the most expensive man made creation (ISS) is scheduled for decommissioning in 2020 -- so far the plan is to sink it but there is a push to see if the can keep it in orbit and privatize it and open it up to the public for either research purposes or as the first space based Vacation / tourist spot

I don't see too many people would express interest. Probably less than 0.01% of earth's population has enough wealth to afford the journey. You may get a few billionaire to make the trip, but it's not going to sustain the ISS over the long run.

I'm skeptical of this "private sector will push the boundaries of space exploration" narrative. The amount of funding required is astronomical (pun intended) and can only be coughed up by the state. Even the current private ventures into space are not pushing the boundaries, but trying to make existing near orbit delivery methods more affordable. Anything beyond the moon, you need multi-national cooperation.

It's sad that China, Russia, EU and US aren't working more closely together in this area due to mutual suspicions. We're wasting a lot of efforts and resources doing replicating each other had already done instead of joining hands to get off this rock.

How pissed would you be if that thing landed on your home?

They'll probably pay you a shit ton of money for compensation, not to mention the look on your home insurance agent's face when you tell him the cause of the destruction.

 

[JudoThrowFiasco]

I don't see too many people would express interest. Probably less than 0.01% of earth's population has enough wealth to afford the journey. You may get a few billionaire to make the trip, but it's not going to sustain the ISS over the long run.

I'm skeptical of this "private sector will push the boundaries of space exploration" narrative. The amount of funding required is astronomical (pun intended) and can only be coughed up by the state. Even the current private ventures into space are not pushing the boundaries, but trying to make existing near orbit delivery methods more affordable. Anything beyond the moon, you need multi-national cooperation.

It's sad that China, Russia, EU and US aren't working more closely together in this area due to mutual suspicions. We're wasting a lot of efforts and resources doing replicating each other had already done instead of joining hands to get off this rock.


They'll probably pay you a shit ton of money for compensation, not to mention the look on your home insurance agent's face when you tell him the cause of the destruction.

Yes and no - it's not like they have to rebuild the ISS -- it's already in orbit, so the alternative to privatization is just allow it to sink. So, the options is viability of private usage vs just letting it die. I could see SpaceX, Blue Origin, ULS and a few others joint venturing to see the viability of travel tourism. I agree, the costs would be high -- 300 million in fuel + transport costs -- but, according to projections, SpaceX could make flight happen for around 40 million pure launch. I don't think it will be a long term venture but a life extension. The station isn't really built to last past 2028 anyways.

As to your assumption of joint state ventures to go past lunar manned exploration -- SpaceX is planning their first unmanned testing of DragonX in 2018 -- and thus far, they have done all engineering in house at almost private cost. So, there is evidence that the ability to "test the boundaries" as ssomething achievable by a private entity with mild single state support.