Station chinese space : the “heavenly palace” will return to Earth – Science and Future

STATION. Launched in 2011, Tiangong-1 (“heavenly palace” in chinese) is an experimental module that is used by China to test several technologies intended to prepare the putting into orbit of a space station inhabited. Measuring 10.4 metres long and over 3 metres wide, this “palace” space is evolving at 350 kilometres altitude. It has been used during three years for maneuvers docking and rendez-vous orbital automated. And he also received, in 2013, the visit of the module manned Shenzhou X, with three taïkonautes on board. After a few years of good and loyal services, it was taken out of operation in march 2016 by the heads of mission while. Its successor, Tiangong-2, took the baton a few months later : it was launched last September 15 and the first control operations indicate that all systems are nominal. He will also be responsible for hosting a crew of two taïkonautes, normally before the end of the year 2016. It was during a press conference on this latest launch that China has announced that the module Tiangong-1 was going to make his return to the Earth in 2017. But this return seems to be out of control : the associate director of the office of the engineering space inhabited chinese Wu Ping has not been able to confirm a date and a fall zone. Yet, in the case of a descent direction, it is possible to calculate these parameters in advance. This had been the case during the first repatriation of the history space of a large machine-manufactured : the Russian space station MIR. It disintegrated during its return to the top of the South Pacific, there are already more than fifteen years. Since many other satellites and ships have carried out this manoeuvre.

The greater part of Tiangong-1 is expected to be destroyed during reentry into the atmosphere

In the case of Tiangong-1, re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere will no doubt not be optimal, since, according to the experts China is not the main engine of the module. If the major part of the structure will be disintegrated by the forces of friction caused by the air, it is possible that large pieces to be able to stand and reach the ground. “On the basis of our calculations, the most of the space laboratory will burn during the fall” insists, however, Wu ping. Even if a few pieces remain, and the risk that they may be the cause of the damage is minimal : the major part of the Earth is covered by oceans and the human population is concentrated on just 2.5% of the land surface. However, the chinese authorities will carefully follow the path of the “heavenly palace” in order to be able to anticipate at least a few hours before the zone of his fall. One such case of atmospheric re-entry is not controlled has already happened in 2015 : a ship Russian Progress who had failed to resupply the international space Station, it had fallen on the Earth, in the Pacific, without causing incidents.