Tiangong-1 2018 Reentry V1.3 Part1
First posted 10 March 2018; Updated 25 March 2018
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The "12 March 2018" laser strikes event
3. Post-"12 March 2018" event's analysis
4. Official Chinese statement after the "12 March 2018" event
5. The geomagnetic storm of 19 March 2018
6. The coup de grâce
7. Post-reentry analysis
1. Introduction
Has There Been a Loss of Control?
Where will Tiangong-1 reenter?
How Difficult is it to Accurately Predict a Reentry?
Will objects from this reentry hit me or my property?
As all these questions can only expose how biased and ill-intentioned the Western propaganda machine is, hell-bent in smearing the ever more outstanding Chinese space achievements (due to desperation and jealousy as always), let us reassure all our Pakistani readers and other foes as well, with some clarifications.
China has been working on developing laser weapons since the 1960s, and the People’s Liberation Army in 2015 published the book Light War that gives a central role to fighting a future war using lasers.
As already disclosed by the media, China is known to have operated at least 3 ASAT laser stations, in Anhui, Sichuan and Xinjiang.
In 2005, Chinese researchers have successfully conducted a satellite-blinding experiment using a 50-100 kilowatt capacity mounted laser gun in Xinjiang province. The target was a low orbit satellite with a tilt distance of 600 kilometers. The diameter of the telescope firing the laser beam is 0.6 meters wide. The accuracy of acquisition, tracking and pointing is less than 5 microradians.
Three researchers, Gao Minghui, Zeng Yuquang and Wang Zhihong disclosed plan for even more powerful ASAT lasers in The Chinese Optics journal in December 2013.
All worked for the Changchun Institute for Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics – the leading center for laser weapons technology.
The plan proposed the building of a 5-ton chemical laser as a combat platform capable of destroying satellites in orbit. Given funding by the Chinese military, which is in charge of China’s space program, the anti-satellite laser could be deployed by 2023.
In another
study that was led by Quan Wen, a researcher from the Information and Navigation College at China's Air Force Engineering University, with the help of the Institute of China Electronic Equipment System Engineering Company, laser used in removal of space debris have been investigated.
The simulation results show that, debris removal is affected by inclination and RAAN, and laser station with the same inclination and RAAN as debris has the highest removal efficiency. It provides necessary theoretical basis for the deployment of space-based laser station and the further application of space debris removal by using space-based laser.
Although high secrecy is strictly enforced, one could compare the case of Tiangong-1 space laboratory with the ill-fated Phobos-Grunt Mars probe, that reentered over the South Eastern Pacific Ocean on 15 January 2011.
There was no random reentry over highly populated area. This time Tiangong-1 will also reenter over the Pacific Ocean, in a
remotely controlled mode.
This suggests that China will secretly use its laser ASAT stations, to produce a series of thrusts generated by heating until vaporizing the outer part of the spacecraft, thus lowering the perigee of Tiangong-1. Notice Tiangong-1 passes every day up to five times over China, heading south-Eastward toward the south Pacific.
Upon reaching the ultimate ~140 km altitude threshold, where a complete orbit is no longer possible, the coup de grâce will be given by piercing the forward part of the pressurized module, thus allowing all the remaining gaz to escape at high velocity, and generating an additional negative vector thrust (think of a coca cola bottle).
Alternately, by piercing the propellant tank (i.e. Hydrazine) would even provide a more powerfull thrust, but the targeting requires a higher accuracy.
If this procedure succeedes, this would eventually allow a safe reentry half an orbit later over the predesignated area over the Pacific Ocean.
What makes the preparation for this highly risky space billiard operation possible is that China can count on its world fastest supercomputers.
As reported by the state television CCTV13, it it took 20 days, instead of the otherwise 12 months, for China's Sunway-TaihuLight, the world's fastest supercomputer, for simulating the numerical reentry prediction, which are in accordance with wind tunnel simulations.
This is the least China could do, as even North Korea has already disclosed its own Korean-style Anti-Meteor Laser System, needed to protect its planned future Lunar base, back in a New Year 2018 show!
▲ Map of Tiangong-1 ground track
▲ An official map of the Phobos-Grunt reentry released by Roskosmos by 20:00 Moscow Time on Jan. 15, 2012.
Notice the similarity with Tiangong-1 regarding the relative location of the impact zone and the ASAT laser stations!
▲ Space imagery of Tianshan ASAT laser station. 中国天山部署战略反卫星激光武器
▲ China's Sunway-TaihuLight, the world's fastest supercomputer, used for simulating the numerical reentry prediction of Tiangong-1.
▲ China's Sunway-TaihuLight, the world's fastest supercomputer, used for simulating the numerical reentry prediction of Tiangong-1.
Note that the space lab will present its APAS docking ring forward due to the overall aerodynamics and especially the solar pannels at the rear section, therefore allowing a good view and stable laser targeting of the said frontal section.
▲ At T=40:54 North Korean Lunar base hit by meteor shower; Video published on Jan 1, 2018
▲ 10 North Korean astronauts combining beams of laser to thwart a meteor shower as depicted in a New Year 2018 show
▲ At T=40:54 North Korean Lunar base hit by meteor shower; At T=41:33 Combined laser beams used to protect the North Korean Lunar base from meteor shower, in a New Year 2018 show. Video published on Jan 1, 2018
Target in range, all PLA Laser Stations ready to fire!
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2. The "12 March 2018" laser strikes event
Confirming earlier assessment, the Chinese PLA ASAT laser stations seem to have already proceeded with their first in a series of corrective laser surgical pinpoint accuracy strikes, as shown in the sudden
increased decay rate of Tiangong-1 correlated by the official TLE of March 12!
▲ It is clearly visible an anomalous burst from the TLE 18070.1268 (March 11) to 18072.1107 (March 13), 6 consecutive TLEs.
▲ After the big variation in the decay rate on March 12, the totally controlled reentry is predicted at a slightly earlier date: 2-3 April 2018
▲ Groundtrack of a very good pass of Tiangong-1 over China's laser stations on 12 March 2018, especially a frontal approach over Tianshan ASAT station!
▲ Attitude and Inclination of Tiangong-1, as of 14 March 2018: totally controlled reentry is predicted for 2-3 April 2018
Coincidence? I think not!
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3. Post-"12 March 2018" event's analysis
Latest post-"12 March 2018" astrophotographies of China's orbital space laboratory Tiangong-1
Notice the regular and constant brightness of the path, indicating a stable attitude with no tumbling after the first laser strikes!
▲ TIANGONG 1 pass captured from Tanegashima on 13 March 2018, 19:06~18:08 JST, 10 seconds x 6, fisheye, APS-C10 mm, PENTAX K-5II s
Estimated Magnitude: 1.3
▲ TIANGONG 1 pass captured from Tanegashima on 14 March 2018, 18:54~18:56 JST, 5 seconds x 21, f/4 ISO 100, APS-C10 mm, PENTAX K-5II s
Estimated Magnitude: 0.5
For comparison, Tiangong-2, without any tumbling and with stable attitude:
▲ TIANGONG 2 pass between Arcturus and Uras Major captured from Tanegashima on 12 March 2018, 5:20~5:21 JST, 20 seconds x 4, f/3.2, ISO 2500, APS-C21 mm, PENTAX K-5II s
Estimated Magnitude: 1.0
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4. Official Chinese statement after the "12 March 2018" event
More smoking gun, or rather smoking lasers!
Chinese official statement, suggesting a successful first series of laser strikes:
"Descent of China’s Tiangong-1 will not cause damage to earth: expert
March 14, 2018
According to the latest information issued by China’s manned space engineering office, since Feb. 25 to Mar. 4, 2018, Tiangong-1 was orbiting in stable condition and good shape at an average height of about 251.5 kilometers (perigee height: 238.6 km; apogee height: 264.4 km; orbital inclination: 42.79 degrees).
China has been monitoring Tiangong-1, Zhu said, adding that the space lab will burn up after entering the atmosphere and the remaining
wreckage will fall into a designated area of the sea, without endangering the Earth’s surface.
Aerospace expert Pang Zhihao explained that an international tradition to handle retired large spacecrafts operated at near-earth orbits is to let them fall to an abyssal zone in
southern Pacific Ocean far away from the continents.
Being called the “graveyard of spacecraft”, the water was the falling location for Mir space station and Progress spacecraft of Russia, and the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory of the US, Pang added.
http://en.people.cn/n3/2018/0314/c90000-9437070.html
,,
Coincidence? I think not!
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5. The geomagnetic storm of 19 March 2018
Due to severe space weather caused by solar activities, a geomagnetic storm on 19 March 2018 is resulting in an increased decay rate, accelerating the date of reentry of Tiangong-1, around 3 April±1 day.
▲ Geomagnetic storm on 19 March 2018
Radar imagery indicating a good physical integrity of Tiangong-1, allowing the final coup de grâce that will be given by piercing the forward part of the pressurized module, thus allowing all the remaining gaz to escape at high velocity, and generating an additional negative vector thrust (think of a coca cola bottle). This would eventually allow a safe reentry half an orbit later over the predesignated area over the Pacific Ocean.
▲ Tiangong-1 image taken with radiotelescope at Fraunhofer on 21.3.2018
▲ Tiangong-1 image taken with radiotelescope at Fraunhofer on 21.3.2018