Last week, on April 1, China’s first space station, Tiangong-1, returned to its home planet in a fiery “uncontrolled return” through Earth’s atmosphere. Tiangong-1 (Heavenly Palace-1 in English) was launched in 2011 and ceased operating in 2016. The remnants of the unoccupied space station—the parts that did not disintegrate on reentry—crashed into the South Pacific Ocean.
The spacecraft’s demise was tracked closely by the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the U.S. Air Force, and other space agencies and air forces around the world. The end of Tiangong-1 could have posed a threat to highly populated areas, and the derelict craft’s reentry position was continually updated as it spun through its final orbits. At last, Tiangong-1 hit the atmosphere over a wide expanse of empty sea. Most of the spacecraft was incinerated, but pieces of it did strike the water at Earth’s surface.
Tiangong-1 was launched aboard a carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Space Launch Center in northern China in September 2011. The modest space station, two cylindrical sections with a docking port, was about 39 feet (12 meters) long and 11 feet (3.3 meters) wide. The spacecraft was used mainly to carry out rendezvous and docking tests in preparation for the construction of a larger and longer-lasting space station scheduled for completion and launch in the early 2020's. Tiangong-1 settled into an orbit about 217 miles (350 kilometers) above Earth, slightly lower than the orbit of the much larger International Space Station.
In early November 2011, the robotic Shenzhou-8 (Divine Craft-8) spacecraft visited Tiangong-1, executing China’s first-ever orbital docking. In June 2012, three taikonauts (Chinese astronauts) aboard Shenzhou-9 gave the heavenly palace life for about two weeks. A year later, three more taikonauts spent a fortnight aboard Tiangong-1. The spacecraft continued some Earth-observation work after that, but contact and control of Tiangong-1 were lost in March 2016. A successor craft, Tiangong-2, was launched in September 2016 and is currently in operation.
Untitled Document
Can't view the linked articles? Subscribe to World Book Online
World Book Online delivers a progressive sequence of core databases supported by supplemental
tools, such as language translation, graphic organizers, and unique Webquests. Moving from
Early World of Learning to World Book Advanced, World Book Online aligns end-users with their
appropriate learning levels. Each stand-alone site provides additional features to support the
needs of users’ specific capabilities.
The World Book Difference
World Book combines cutting-edge technology with traditional editorial excellence to produce
authoritative, trustworthy, and unbiased content. The digital content is updated in real time and
carefully curated for each learning level. Accessible 24/7, the content is available on a variety of devices.
World Book Online combines 21st-century instructional techniques with timely information.
By breaking down complex topics and using easily understandable text, World Book Online helps to
build fluency and increase comprehension. Featuring single sign-on capability, these sites are paired
with highly visual content to engage even the most reluctant reader. Our collection of resources kindles
a lifelong learning experience for every user. This adherence to clarity, currency, and accuracy makes
World Book’s digital offerings an information hub for the classroom, library, and beyond.
Image: This illustration shows the uncontrolled return of the Tiangong-1 space station on April 1, 2018. Credit: © Alejo Miranda, Shutterstock