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Chinese Tiangong-1 space station to burn up on reentry March 31

By Shane McGlaun/

We've known for a while now that China has lost control of its Tiangong-1 space station. The inability to control the station means that it will reenter the atmosphere of the Earth and burn up. China still has a space station in orbit, it's called the Tiangong-2.

Earlier this month the range for reentry was given as sometime between March 29 and April 9. Scientist Dr. Marco Langbroek has offered up a new and more precise date of reentry for the space station. He says that Tiangong-1 will reenter the atmosphere on March 31.

Dr. Langbroek does note that his prediction has a plus or minus 3-day error range. The scientist noted that a recent geomagnetic storm did "seem to have given it a bump." While we have a more precise ate range for reentry, we still have no idea exactly where reentry will happen.

The massive 19,000-pound space station is expected to burn up on reentry. If any parts of the space station do make it to Earth, the odds of it hitting land, people or property are scant.

What people near the reentry point for the space station will see is a spectacular fireball. Any real indication of where the space station will reenter will only be offered in the last minutes before reentry happens.

SOURCE: Popular Mechanics

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