Chinese news outlets posted photos and tributes to the 10.4-metre-long space station as it re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere over the south Pacific. 18 SPCS (@18SPCS) UPDATE: #JFSCC confirmed #Tiangong1 reentered the atmosphere over the southern Pacific Ocean at ~5:16 p.m. (PST) April 1. Play Video 0:34 Watch the 2011 launch of crashed Chinese space station Tiangong-1 – video“The biggest takeaway from this is that as we put more things into space, all countries, we have to be aware that we do have to plan for these sorts of issues that are happening.”A second Chinese space station, Tiangong-2, remains in orbit. Launched in 2016, after Tiangong-1 went offline, its aim is to test capabilities for long-term human presence in space, in anticipation of China’s permanent space station. Tiangong-1 crash: everything you need to know Read moreChina’s ambitions in space stand in contrast to the US, where policymakers are considering defunding the International Space Station (ISS) by 2024.

Source: The Guardian April 02, 2018 01:17 UTC