China's space station will plummet back down to Earth TODAY: Spacecraft will burn up in the atmosphere before debris is scattered across the Pacific Ocean in 'planned destruction'
- Its path back to Earth will be a destructive one as it is expected the spacecraft will burn up upon re-entry
- Its demise is intentional, unlike the fiery death of its ill-fated predecessor, Tiangong-1 which fell last year
- The craft has reached the end of the mission and China's space agency always planned to destroy it
- Will re-enter over the Pacific Ocean later today and any debris wile land between New Zealand and Chile
China's Tiangong-2 spacecraft is currently rapidly descending towards Earth after deliberately dropping out of Earth's orbit.
Its path back to Earth will be a destructive one as it is expected the spacecraft will burn up upon re-entry.
The space station, which means 'Heavenly body' in Chinese, will be destroyed at some point today, and any debris that survives re-entry will likely be harmlessly scattered throughout the Pacific ocean between New Zealand and Chile.
Its progress and inevitable destruction can be tracked here.
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China's Tiangong-2 spacecraft is currently rapidly descending towards Earth after deliberately dropping out of Earth's orbit.It is expected to burn up in the atmosphere later today
The space station, which means 'Heavenly body' in Chinese, will be destroyed at some point today, and any debris that survives re-entry will likely be harmlessly scattered throughout the Pacific ocean between New Zealand and Chile
Its altitude has been dropping rapidly, falling from 180 miles to 120 miles above the planet in just an hour. Its current angle relative to Earth's surface has also become far steeper, rising to a near-vertical 81° from a more gentile 35° an hour previous
It is currently still functional but its planned death by inferno was initiated more than a year ago.
Its altitude has been dropping rapidly, falling from 180 miles to 120 miles above the planet in just an hour.
Its current angle relative to Earth's surface has also become far steeper, rising to a near-vertical 81° from a more gentile 35° just an hour previous.
Tiangong-2 was never destined to be a permanent fixture in space and was designed to be destroyed in Earth's atmosphere at some point.
Its demise is intentional, unlike the fiery death of its ill-fated predecessor, Tiangong-1, which hurtled towards Earth uncontrollably after the Chinese space agency lost contact with it last year.
Tiangong-1 carried carried toxic chemicals on-board when it crashed to Earth on Easter Sunday.
Foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang attempt to quell fears of the bus-sized space station, weighing 8.5-tons hitting a densely populated area.
He said last year:'If there is a need, we will promptly be in touch with the relevant country.
'As to what I have heard, at present the chances of large fragments falling to the ground are not very great, the probability is extremely small.'
Tiangong-2 (pictured here docking with another craft) was never destined to be a permanent fixture in space and was designed to be destroyed in Earth's atmosphere at some point. Its demise is intentional, unlike the fiery death of its ill-fated predecessor, Tiangong-1
Its demise is intentional, unlike the fiery death of its ill-fated predecessor, Tiangong-1, which hurtled towards Earth uncontrollably after the Chinese space agency lost contact with it last year
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT CHINA'S TIANGONG-2 SPACE STATION?
Tiangong-2 is the second Chinese experimental space station.
It was launched aboard a Long March 2F rocket on 15 September 2016.
The module is being used for 'testing systems and processes for mid-term space stays and refuelling,' according to the Chinese State.
This is being achieved via the crewed Shenzhou-11 and uncrewed Tianzhou-1 cargo missions.
Tiangong-2 is the second Chinese experimental space station (artist's impression). It was launched aboard a Long March 2F rocket on 15 September 2016
Tiangong-2 also houses experiments in medicine and various space-related technologies.
The lab is equipped with 14 instruments, including the world’s most accurate time piece, according to reports in Chinese state media.
The Cold Atomic Clock in Space developed by researchers in Shanghai can easily be lifted by two people and would fit comfortably in the boot of a car, The South China Post reported at the time of its launch.
Polar, a gamma-ray burst detector developed by an international team of experts, stopped working on April 1, 2017 due to a power failure.
However, it did manage to gather data during its six months of operations, with the results due to be published in 2018.
The vessel has a crew size of two, with 30 days of life support resources.
In October 2017, Chinese astronauts spent a 30-day stay on the station - China's longest stay in space.
It is 34 ft (10.4 m) long, 14 ft (4.2 m) in diameter and has a mass of 19,000 lb (8,600 kg).
It is conducting experiments ahead of a Chinese space station planned for 2022.
Tiangong-2 launched in 2016 and a range of experiments were conducted inside it.
Two astronauts travelled to it to study the impact of space on human physiology and other trials include three docking and refuelling tests with a cargo satellite.
Its entire mission served to lay the foundations for the more ambitious goals of China's space desires.
After sending a rover to the far side of the moon, it intends to build on this success and launch a much larger space station next year.
It will be about a fifth of the size of the ISS.
A TIMELINE OF HOW CHINA REACHED THE FAR SIDE OF THE MOON
Chang'e-4 launched from the Xichang satellite launch centre in Sichuan, south-west China at 6:30 GMT on December 7
October 24, 2007 - China launches Chang'e-1, an unmanned satellite, into space where it remains operational for more than a year.
October 1, 2010 - China launches Chang'e-2. This was part of the first phase of the Chinese moon programme. It was in a 100km-high lunar orbit to gather data for the upcoming Chang'e-3 mission.
September 29, 2011 - China launches Tiangong 1.
September 15, 2013 - A second space lab, Tiangong 2, is launched.
December 1, 2013 - Chang'e-3 launched.
December 14, 2013 - Chang'e-3, a 2,600 lb (1,200 kg) lunar probe lands on the near side of the moon successfully. It became the first object to soft-land on the Moon since Luna 24 in 1976.
April 1, 2018 - Tiangong-1 crashes to Earth at 17,000mph and lands in the ocean off the coast of Tahiti.
May 20, 2018 - China launches a relay satellite named Queqiao which is stationed in operational orbit about 40,000 miles beyond the Moon. This is designed to enable Chang'e-4 to communicate with engineers on Earth.
The Chang'e-4 lunar rover is lifted into space from the Xichang launch centre in China's southwestern Sichuan province on December 7
December 7, 2018 - Chinese space agency announces it has launched the Chang'e-4 probe.
December 12, 2018 - Retrorockets on the probe are fired to stabilise the spacecraft and slow it down.
December 31, 2018 - The probe prepares for the first-ever soft landing on the far side of the Moon.
January 4, 2019 - It lands the Chang'e-4 lander on the far side of the moon
Planned for 2020 - Tiangong 3,a follow-up mission to the Tiangong-2
Before 2033 - China plans for its first uncrewed Mars exploration program.
2040 - 2060 - The Asian superpower is planning a crewed mission to Mars.
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