China's 7000-kg space station ‘Tiangong-1’ to crash into Earth this week

Paris, March 29: Breaking down into several big pieces, Chinese space station weighing over 7 tonnes will crash into our planet on or around April 1. Chinese authorities are monitoring its move, it could crash in a northern US state such as Michigan.

Northern China, central Italy, northern Spain, the Middle East, New Zealand, Tasmania, South America and South Africa have also been identified as regions with a high chance of impact.

The Heavenly Palace is expected to break into pieces as big as 100kg while making a plunge into the planet. Tiangong-1 was launched on 1 October 2011, the Chinese National Day.

In September 2016, Chinese officials confirmed that they had lost control of the space lab and that it would crash into Earth sometime in the latter half of 2017. In May, China told the United Nations that the lab would reenter Earth between October and April 2018.

Chinese officials aren’t expecting much harm from the falling debris. But they told the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space they will keep the committee informed as the crash nears.

But it’s not the first time a spacecraft has uncontrollably descended toward the planet. NASA’s had several incidents including the larger Skylab (77.5-ton) and there haven’t been any reported deaths or injuries in the past.