Space.com reports (Tor-friendly link) that amateur satellite tracker Thomas Dorman has created imagery that suggests China's Tiangong-1 space station "is in a slow roll." If that is the situation, its motion is not under control and its solar panels are not aimed at the Sun.
In March, official news agency Xinhua reported that "Tiangong-1 terminated its data service" and that
The flight orbit of the space lab, which will descend gradually in the coming months, is under continued and close monitoring, according to the [manned space engineering] office, which said the orbiter will burn up in the atmosphere eventually.
The official statement and Dorman's observations have led to speculation that the craft's descent may take place in an uncontrolled manner, increasing the possibility that debris will fall in populated areas.
Additional coverage:
(Score: 2, Insightful) by anubi on Thursday July 14 2016, @09:26AM
Here's hoping either the Chinese or another space agency can assist in getting it back in place.
It cost a lot to get that thing up there... shame to let it all come back apart.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 14 2016, @01:01PM
Anyone know the orbital track of this thing? If launched from mainland China it probably covers most of the temperate zones??
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Thursday July 14 2016, @02:04PM
What goes up, must come down.
At least for all the space stations they've launched so far and put in relatively low orbit (all of them).
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"