Slight chance of a Chinese Space Station teardown - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 31, 2018, 04:13:27 am
content: The disabled Chinese space station Tiangong-1, currently in its last few orbits due to being in the fringes of the atmosphere, will come down sometime on 1st April. Tomorrow. An amusing April Fools joke, though unplanned.Australia is in the potential final reentry footprint. Some pieces are likely to make it to the ground. So, just in case you are lucky and have a spacejunk windfall (and are not killed) please take some teardown pics. Before authorities confiscate it.http://joannenova.com.au/2018/03/satellite-going-awol-at-28000kmhr-tracking-that-chinese-stray/Live orbital map:http://www.n2yo.com/?s=37820

author: Ampera
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 31, 2018, 04:48:32 am
content: Knowing Dave's luck, it will fall right down and smash another one of his solar panels.

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 31, 2018, 04:51:55 am
content: Or it will fall into his dumpster, just after 'someone' places another $50,000 oscilloscope in it, due to some trivial fault. It will be April Fools, after all.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 31, 2018, 05:55:26 am
content: Still has a couple of days to go - but it will be over the Hunter Valley in about 5 minutes from now. (It's about a 2 hour drive north of Sydney.)They make some decent wines in the Hunter...

author: station240
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 31, 2018, 06:03:33 am
content: I wouldn't touch space debris, unless it's clear it's not fuel/thruster related, and I've had time to give it a good hose down with water.Problem is things like fuel tanks are most likely parts to survive re-entry, and contain toxic fuel.

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 31, 2018, 06:28:53 am
content: I wonder what fake components from the Shenzhen markets they used to cause it to fail? ;-)

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 31, 2018, 06:53:14 am
content: Quote from: blueskull on March 31, 2018, 06:49:19 amYes, I'm aware. I was kidding.

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 31, 2018, 10:05:31 am
content: Hmm, looks like it will go fairly closely over Sydney in about 35 to 40 minutes. Probably not still sunlit though.That orbit mapping site seems to bestrugglingoverwhelmed with load.A better one:http://www.satview.org/index.phpBut you have to find and select TIANGONG 1.Also one site or the other has an 'off by one' bug. n2yo was showing the current orbit going over Sydney. Satview shows the current orbit (red) as the one far to the Sth of Sydney, and the next orbit (blue) as the one going overhead.

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 31, 2018, 10:23:36 am
content: Quote from: TerraHertz on March 31, 2018, 10:05:31 amNope, completely dark here now. All the better to see the burn-up though ?

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 31, 2018, 10:31:49 am
content: Sun has been set in Sydney for a while, but the object is high up. It would be still sunlit a long way into the night side. But not far enough this time.Sun just now set in WA.Btw, have you seen this:http://www.opentopia.com/sunlightmaprect.htmlWorld Sunlight Map

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 31, 2018, 10:37:54 am
content: This site works quite well:http://www.satflare.com/track.asp?q=37820#TOPSeems like n2yo.com isn't loading correctly any more.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 31, 2018, 10:46:21 am
content: Quote from: station240 on March 31, 2018, 06:03:33 amAgreed! Don't get near space debris. The fuel (usually Hydrazine) is extremely toxic.

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 31, 2018, 11:02:08 am
content: Thanks, another one for my list.Satflare and Satview match in their current position for Tiangong. So n2yo.com not only can't handle load, but its software is off by one orbit.Anyway, the *next* orbit goes closely over Sydney.Edit to add:"Man launches himself in self-made rocket to prove flat Earth theory" --> The uploader has not made this video available in your country.Oh the irony. What, he doesn't want people to see his flat Earth video, who are on the other side of the globe?

author: farmerni
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: March 31, 2018, 03:16:33 pm
content: Do you HAVE to let the authorities at the bits?

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 01, 2018, 01:45:22 am
content: Quote from: farmerni on March 31, 2018, 03:16:33 pmUnless a piece punches a hole in someone's roof, I doubt the authorities would care too much. Maybe the Australian government will issue a fine to China for littering, just as they did with the decay ofSkylab.

author: raptor1956
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 01, 2018, 02:19:28 am
content: Quote from: blueskull on March 31, 2018, 11:32:05 amYeah but, he was trying to prove the Earth is flat so 1800 ft was where he got. You can routinely go 20X that in a commercial airliner or contract a balloon to get to 100K feet. Still not space and with many lenses at the wide end having some or a lot of barrel distortion you can make the Earth look concave, convex or flat depending on where you point it.Brian

author: Stray Electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 01, 2018, 03:46:12 am
content: Quote from: blueskull on March 31, 2018, 11:32:05 amIt reportedly did happen but well over 100 years ago. In about 2000 BC, Wan Hu a high ranking Chinese official, is said have lined his chair with large fireworks rockets and then sat in the chair and had servants ignite all of the rockets at the same time. Wan Hu, and his chair, disappeared in a cloud of smoke, never to be seen again.I build so many rockets when I was in high school that my nick name as Wan Hu (pronounced Ho). My sidekick's nick name was Wan Ho Ho! Serious!I'm probably the only one on this list that has a crater on the moon named for him

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 01, 2018, 08:52:45 am
content: Well it's dropping like a stone(*) now. Perigee down to 165 Km (102.5 miles.)http://www.satflare.com/track.asp?q=37820#TOP* A stone that's trying to orbit the Earth, in the edge of the atmosphere.)

author: IanMacdonald
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 01, 2018, 01:49:39 pm
content: Besides, if the Earth is flat, then if you launch straight upwards it could have revolved by 90deg by the time you come down.The edge could be painful. Especially if it gets you in the ghoulies.

author: Ferroto
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 01, 2018, 02:21:03 pm
content: Today on the EEVBlog you'll never guess what we found in the dumpster

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 01, 2018, 06:26:30 pm
content: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/Tiangong-1_Reentry_Map.pngDoesn't look like it'll have a high chance of landing in Australia.

author: technogeeky
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 01, 2018, 06:46:39 pm
content: The best site to track this that I've found ishere(at SatFlare).Using the most precise prediction (from Aerospace Corp), it appears the current most likely spot is in the South Pacific near Adamstown, Pitcairn Islands. Regardless of the exact location, none of the few orbital bands in the +/- 2 hour prediction are anywhere near Australia.

author: Lord of nothing
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 01, 2018, 07:43:46 pm
content: The next time when the ISS could see the Flying Garbage Truck: (UTC! +/- 5Min!)2018-04-02 01:35:042018-04-02 02:20:042018-04-02 03:05:042018-04-02 03:50:04....Current Position:

author: MadTux
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 01, 2018, 08:28:42 pm
content: It's about to crash over India/China, soon below 140km. And it still keeps going

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 01, 2018, 09:33:05 pm
content: Actually south Atlantic in 3-5 hours depending on which of these you believe:http://www.satflare.com/track.html?q=37820#TOPhttp://www.satview.org/index.php?sat_id=37820U

author: Lord of nothing
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 01, 2018, 10:16:58 pm
content: are there any youtube channel with experts who explain what happened?

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 01, 2018, 10:18:57 pm
content: Even sooner predicted now:http://www.satview.org/graphics/tip_37820U.jpg

author: glarsson
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 01, 2018, 10:19:49 pm
content: Quote from: Lord of nothing on April 01, 2018, 10:16:58 pmAir and Gravity happened.

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 01, 2018, 10:20:51 pm
content: Quote from: Lord of nothing on April 01, 2018, 10:16:58 pmYep, a wheel fell off !

author: Lord of nothing
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 01, 2018, 10:30:18 pm
content: http://www.aerospace.org/CORDSuploads/TiangongStoryboard.pngMaybe I can stay wake. Does someone have an Cam pointing on that thing?

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 01, 2018, 10:47:27 pm
content: Quote from: Lord of nothing on April 01, 2018, 10:30:18 pmTo open it you need copy and paste it into a new tab.Similar entry point to this:http://www.satview.org/graphics/forec_37820U.jpg

author: Lord of nothing
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 01, 2018, 11:00:32 pm
content: http://www.aerospace.org/CORDSuploads/TiangongStoryboard.pngUnder 2h. Hopefully i can stay wake!

author: Lord of nothing
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 01, 2018, 11:48:44 pm
content: source:http://www.aerospace.org/CORDSuploads/TiangongStoryboard.png

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 02, 2018, 12:11:39 am
content: Quote from: blueskull on April 01, 2018, 11:39:16 pmThis one's up again:http://www.satview.org/index.php

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 02, 2018, 12:13:51 am
content: Quote from: tautech on April 02, 2018, 12:11:39 amThat's down for me buthttp://www.satflare.com/track.asp?q=37820#TOPworks, albeit it's a little slow.

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 02, 2018, 12:20:05 am
content: Quote from: Halcyon on April 02, 2018, 12:13:51 amReally ?Try it on another browser.-6 minutes and counting !

author: Lord of nothing
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 02, 2018, 12:25:01 am
content: https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:-73.2/centery:-21.2/zoom:5

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 02, 2018, 12:31:07 am
content: Quote from: Lord of nothing on April 02, 2018, 12:25:01 amA few of our guys are in the Volvo yacht race heading for Mexico.https://www.volvooceanrace.com/en/tracker.html

author: Lord of nothing
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 02, 2018, 12:40:50 am
content: It looked the are crashed.

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 02, 2018, 12:51:16 am
content: Quote from: Lord of nothing on April 01, 2018, 11:48:44 pm"We are currently waiting for reentry confirmation."

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 02, 2018, 01:02:10 am
content: It seems the re-entry is likely to happen over land so stay tuned for Youtube videos. Maybe it manages to reach China. That would be ironic.

author: technogeeky
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 02, 2018, 02:12:11 am
content: According to US-StratCom, Tiangong-1 has re-entered at 00:16 UTC, Apr 02.It looks like my reading of the prediction was on target -- just nearAdamstown, Pitcairn Islands