Tiangong-1: Where Chinese space station WILL crash land TOMORROW | World | News

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The space craft is expected to tear across the sky and produce a light show similar to a meteor shower, before it enters the earth’s atmosphere tomorrow at 12:15pm EDT (16:15 GMT), according to the Aerospace Corp. 

Tiangong-1’s orbit takes it very close to the the Earth’s atmosphere but the exact location where debris could hit remains unknown. 

However, according to the European Space Agency (ESA), the satellite’s re-entry will take place somewhere between latitudes 43 degrees North and 43 degrees South. 

This area covers large parts of the United States, all of Central America and most of South America, while all of South East Asia and the majority of Australia remain a risk. 

In Europe, the potential re-entry reaches as far north as Spain.

This would include major world cities such as New York, Rio De Janeiro, Madrid, Cairo, Cape Town, New Delhi, Beijing, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Sydney.

At the moment, the satellite is travelling at breakneck speeds of 28,000km/h – more than 200km above Earth.  

The ESA said: “Reentry will take place anywhere between 43º North and 43º South. Areas above or below these latitudes can be excluded.

“At no time will a precise time/location prediction from ESA be possible.

“This forecast was updated approximately weekly through to mid-March, and is now being updated every one or two days.”

But Chinese authorities have said it is unlikely the nine-tonne space station will cause any significant damage, with the odds of being struck by space debris standing at one in 1.2 trillion. 

The Tiangong-1, about the size of a school bus, is the very first space station built by China and was launched into orbit in September 2011.  

It is carrying hydrazine, a highly-toxic chemical used as rocket fuel, while exposure to humans is believed to cause symptoms such as nausea and seizures.

But in March 2016, Chinese authorities revealed that had lost contact with it, prompting fears it would crash on Earth. 

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