China's Tiangong-1 out of control

[Mugwump]

After insisting for months that the station was fine, China admits they have lost control of Tiangong-1. Despite ground observers and amateur astronomers posting conclusive proof that the station was tumbling and its orbit was not being maintained by routine stationkeeping boosts, the Chinese government maintained that "everything is fine". Finally, after the international community basically forced China to take responsibility, their official position is basically "oh well too late, guess it's not our problem now unless it lands on China".

Meanwhile, if a bolt pops off the ISS China throws a fit about space debris. They are very set on politicizing space as a stopgap until they can effectively fight there.

?You really can?t steer these things,? he said. ?Even a couple of days before it re-enters we probably won?t know better than six or seven hours, plus or minus, when it?s going to come down. Not knowing when it?s going to come down translates as not knowing where its going to come down.?

...
Tiangong-1 is most likely out of control, and will not be disposed of in a conventionally controlled atmospheric burnout.

"Based on our calculation and analysis, most parts of the space lab will burn up during falling," Wu said, explaining that there was little chance of any fragments causing damage on Earth's surface or disrupting aviation activities.

According to the state-run news agency Xinhua, China will be monitoring Tiangong?1's final descent and, in the event of any possible dangerous collisions on Earth, will issue an international warning.

[wallace]

That should make a nice fireworks display on the way in, if it hits in the night side.