Posted on 2 April 2018 by Daniel
Tiangong-1 reentry: How ESA found out
Editor’s note: ESA’s Space Debris team have sent in a final update on the reentry of Tiangong-1. As we posted earlier, around once a year, ESA takes part in a joint tracking campaign run by the Inter...
Posted on 2 April 2018 by Daniel
Splashed down!
The US air force has confirmed the reentry of the Tiangong-1 spacecraft at about 02:16 CEST this morning over the southern Pacific Ocean. The location of the reentry was, by chance, not too far from the so-called...
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Posted on 1 April 2018 by Daniel
Monitoring (almost) complete
With the reentry of Tiangong-1 now forecast to happen within a few hours, ESA's formal role in the tracking campaign is winding down.
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Posted on 30 March 2018 by Daniel
ESA reentry expertise
Every week, on average, a substantial, inert satellite drops into our atmosphere and burns up. Monitoring these reentries and warning European civil authorities has become routine work for ESA’s space debris experts. Each year, about 100 tonnes...
video
Posted on 28 March 2018 by Daniel
Why it’s tough to predict reentries
One question that ESA’s space debris team has been receiving frequently is, why is the actual Tiangong-1 reentry date and time remain so uncertain?
Posted on 26 March 2018 by Daniel
Tiangong-1 frequently asked questions
FAQ prepared and updated by the Space Debris Office, ESA/ESOC, Darmstadt, Germany.
Posted on 26 March 2018 by Daniel
Tiangong-1 reentry updates
The current estimated window is ~24 March to ~19 April; this is highly variable.
Posted on 9 February 2018 by Daniel
Tiangong-1 spotted from Spain
Great views of Tiangong-1 seen at about 280 km altitude, in January, from Spain.