As Chinese Space Lab Crashes To Earth, ISRO On Overnight Vigil

New Delhi: An 8-tonne Chinese space laboratory that will hurtle down to Earth late Sunday or early Monday morning (Indian time) is not likely to hit India, scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation or ISRO believe. But with little certainty about where exactly the spacecraft will land, the Indian space agency is keeping a close watch.

Much of the Tiangong-1 is set to turn into a fireball and most of it is expected to burn up in the Earth's atmosphere. Beijing said on Friday that it is unlikely any large pieces will reach the ground. An ISRO scientist estimates that it will fall anywhere between the latitudes of 43 degrees north and 43 degrees south. And while it is likely to fall into the Pacific Ocean, experts have warned that the exact point of impact could vary due to atmospheric conditions. Scientists say they will know the exact location only an hour before the spacecraft actual hits the Earth.

The Indian space agency has set up a special team of scientists to monitor this space debris as it renters the earth's atmosphere. The team is working overnight in Bengaluru.

The Tiangong-1 space lab was sent into orbit in September 2011 and was an important step in China's efforts towards building its own space station. The spacecraft hosted Chinese astronauts on several occasions. It was slated for a controlled re-entry but Chinese space authorities confirmed in September 2016 that they had lost control of the space lab. Spacecraft that remain in control are gradually guided into the Earth's atmosphere into the ocean. But that will not be possible for this one.