THE END OF THE CHINESE SPACE STATION IS NIGH

There is a time and place for everything and, unfortunately, it is time for the good old Chinese Space Station to say goodbye. The Tiangong-1 is reported to fall out of orbit sometime in March, but it is not known exactly where or when it will happen. There is definitely some concern that pieces of the 9.4-ton station will reach Earth's surface... but, there is no need for panic, the odds of it causing damage are remote. Apparently.

The Tiangong-1 module was launched in 2011 as China's first manned space station, but it wasn't intended as a long-term base of operations like the International Space Station. Tiangong-1 was more a proof of concept; a way fo the China National Space Administration to test its ideas about autonomous orbital docking and modular space station design.

Chinese astronauts visited the Tiangong-1 several times, most recently in 2013. Upon leaving the crew set the station to sleep mode with the intention of leaving it that way for some time. China's space agency wanted to track Tiangong-1 over the course of several years to test the long-term viability of certain components, but the station had already completed its intended mission.

In 2016 ground control lost contact with Tiangong-1, the cause of the communication failure is not known, but teams around the world have been tracking the station remotely ever since. It is known that the space station will hit the surface between 43 degrees North and 43 degrees South latitudes. Parts of the US is technically in the potential impact zone, but it is more likely the debris will just end up in the ocean.

When Tiangong-1 enters the atmosphere, most of the 10-meter-long station will break up into tiny pieces, but the engines are probably too dense to break apart. Those 220 pounds (100kg) components are expected to reach the surface intact. The Tiangong-1 also carries a supply of Hydrazine propellant, which is highly toxic. As long as these engines do not crash land right next to your house, there is nothing to worry about.

The Tiangong-1 will not be the last Chinese space station. They launched the Tiangong-2 module in 2016, and it continues to operate normally. Chinese astronauts visited the Tiangong-2 in 2016 and stayed on board for 30 days.

Keep an eye out for an update, or for a crazy "shooting star" falling towards Earth in March.