Local expert weighs in on Chinese Space Station barreling towards earth

 

SOUTHEAST WIs. (CBS 58) -- An old Chinese space station is falling to earth and is expected to land sometime between Saturday and Monday.

Southeast Wisconsin is one of the areas projected to be in the reentry zone.

China reportedly lost control of the space station two years ago.

They just realized it's now falling through the atmosphere.

We asked a local expert if there's reason to be concerned.

"Even then you have 10 million times less likely a chance to be hit by something from that spacecraft then you are to be hit by lightning so this is not a major major concern," said Jean Creighton, Director at the UWM Manfred Olson Planetatirum.

Creighton says the majority of the station will be burned as it enters the atmosphere.

Debris that does make it through could be scattered miles apart.

The European Space Agency says we won't know for sure when it's coming down until hours beforehand.