Update, Monday 7:14 p.m. -- Michigan was one of the states that worried that China's Tiangong-1 space lab might fall on.
But on Sunday night, the worries were over.
The city bus-sized craft, which almost entirely burned up as it re-entered the Earth's atmosphere on Sunday around 8:15 p.m., NPR reports. It broke into small pieces as it plummeted over the South Pacific Ocean. The derelict spacecraft had been slowly falling out of its original orbit for several years.
Original article, Sunday afternoon:
The European Space Agency says the probability of debris from China’s Tiangong-1 space station hitting someone during re-entry is 10 million times smaller than the yearly chance of being struck by lightning, CBS News reports.
Nonetheless, states along the possible path, which includes Michigan, remain vigilant. The best guess to date is that it will re-enter the earth between Sunday night and Monday morning.
In preparation, Gov. Rick Snyder has activated the state’s Emergency Operations Center to monitor the re-entry. A Michigan State Police statement says:
While most of the space station is expected to burn up during reentry, there is concern that debris could make landfall. According to the Aerospace Corporation, the 8.5-ton space station could land along a strip of the United States from northern California to Pennsylvania, which includes the southern Lower-Peninsula of Michigan.
“While the chances are slim that any of the debris will land in Michigan, we are monitoring the situation and are prepared to respond quickly if it does,” said Capt. Chris A. Kelenske, deputy director of Emergency Management and Homeland Security and commander of the Michigan State Police, Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division (MSP/EMSHD). “The state will rely on its existing satellite reentry response and recovery plan for any necessary response protocols.”
Debris could contain hydrazine, which is a highly toxic and corrosive substance. Any suspected space debris should be considered hazardous. Anyone who suspects they have encountered debris from the space station should report it by calling 911 and stay at least 150 feet away from it.
