“China’s spiraling space station, Tiangong-1, looks like it will plummet to Earth and burn up in the atmosphere sometime on April 1st — though where it will fall is still up for debate. So if you want to keep an eye on Tiangong-1’s whereabouts over the weekend, there are numerous space agencies and websites to follow.
First off, a reminder: this space station is the last thing you need to worry about. Tiangong-1 has been hyped up since it’s particularly heavy and dense, so large chunks of it are expected to survive to the ground. Plus, China lost the ability to control the station from Earth, so the country’s space agency can’t simply dump the station over open ocean. That said, the chances of Tiangong-1 crashing on a person or house are infinitesimal. And if it makes you feel better, a piece of space debris nearly as heavy as Tiangong-1 fell to Earth earlier this year; no one panicked and no one got hurt.
But maybe you just can’t stop worrying about Tiangong-1. We get it. These websites will help you track its descent:
SatView
If you’re looking for a map of where Tiangong-1 is at all times on its orbit, SatView is your friend. The website shows you the space station’s projected path and where it is located above Earth at any given moment. It also includes maps of predicted reentry points based on modeling by both the website and the United States Strategic Command — a unit of the military that is responsible for tracking space debris.
The European Space Agency
ESA’s Space Debris Office has been maintaining a daily blog of Tiangong-1’s altitude, along with the most up-to-date predicted reentry date. The page also links out to ESA’s helpful FAQ page, which gives you all the facts on what’s going on with the station.
The Aerospace Corporation
This nonprofit based in California provides guidance and research on space missions, and it’s a go-to resource for all things space debris. The corporation’s website has created a full page dedicated to tracking Tiangong-1, showing details about the vehicle, its current location, and when it’s expected to dive into the atmosphere. There’s even a fun animated video illustrating what the spacecraft’s reentry will look like.
China’s Space Agency
In mid-March, China started providing daily updates on Tiangong-1’s status, according to the GB Times. The agency’s updates are short and sweet, providing the latest details on the station’s altitude, its orbit, and when Tiangong-1 is expected to fall.
Quite a few space enthusiasts are following the saga of Tiangong-1, too. Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and space debris enthusiast, has been a valuable asset in tracking the station (which is why you may have seen him in most of the articles about Tiangong-1). Marco Langbroek, who deems himself a “spy satellite tracker,” has also been posting frequent updates — and maps! — on his Twitter account.
And if you just can’t get enough…
If you’d like to chat with other space enthusiasts about Tiangong-1, there’s a forum just for that. NASASpaceflight.com has a forum post dedicated to the space station, which spans all the way back to when the vehicle first launched. This is the site where you can take your tracking skills up a notch.”