Out-of-control Chinese space station is predicted to smash back into the Earth's atmosphere over Easter - and Australia is in the 'impact zone'

出故障的太空站将在复活节后撞入地球大气层，澳大利亚将波及。

Chinese space station Tiangong-1 is predicted to crash back to Earth over the Easter long weekend and Australia is a likely target.

太空站天宫一号预计将在复活节长周末撞回地球，可能落入澳大利亚境内。

The space station, which name means 'celestial palace' in Chinese, was launched in 2011 and, after completing its scientific missions, was decommissioned in 2016.

这个名为“天宫”的空间站于2011年发射升空，完成科学任务后，于2016年退役。

Shortly after its retirement rumours began to circulate that China had lost communication with the 8.5 tonne piece of equipment as it hurtled through orbit.

在其退役传闻开始传播后不久，就失去了与这台在轨道上飞驰的8.5吨重的设备失联了。

'It seems they lost communication link to the space station so there is no data link,' Dr iaofeng Wu from Sydney University told ABC.

来自悉尼大学的吴晓峰博士对美国广播公司说:“他们似乎失去了与空间站的通信联系，所以没有数据链接。”

Dr Wu, a space engineer, explained that if there was no signal link between the space station and ground control then engineers had no ability to direct where the satellite would land.

吴博士是一名太空工程师，他解释说，如果空间站和地面控制台之间没有信号联系，工程师就无法指挥卫星在何处着陆。

Since being decommissioned the altitude of the space station has been steadily decreasing and it now appears the object will de-orbit and smash into Earth over the Easter long weekend.

空间站退役后，高度一直在下降，现在看来，这个物体将在复活节长周末期间脱离轨道，撞向地球。

It is not currently confirmed whether notoriously secretive China has been able to maintain or re-establish links with Tiangong-1, which would let them fire engines at the last minute to avoid land collisions.

目前尚不能确定的是是否有能力保持或恢复与天宫一号的联系并在最后一刻烧毁天宫一号，避免其与地球相撞。

Currently the craft completes an orbit of the planet every one and a half hours at speeds of 28,000 kilometres per hour, with its trajectory varying between the latitudes of 43 degrees south and 43 degrees north.

目前，这艘飞船在轨道内的飞行时速为28,000公里，每一个半小时绕地球飞行一圈，其飞行轨迹在南纬43度和北纬43度之间变化。

This puts Australia, Africa, South America, the majority of the USA, and Southeast Asia all within the possible impact zone.

这使得澳大利亚、非洲、南美洲、美国的大部分地区和东南亚都处于可能受影响的范围之内。

There will be a visible fireball when the space station re-enters the atmosphere and begins to break apart.

当空间站掉入大气层并开始解体时，肉眼将能观察到一个大火球。

Dr William Ailor, who holds a PhD in aerospace engineering, explained the craft would peel apart like an onion on its way down.

拥有航空航天工程博士学位的威廉·艾兰博士解释说，飞船在降落过程中会像洋葱一样一层一层地解体。

He estimated that about 10 to 40 per cent of the space station would survive re-entry intact and make it to the Earth's surface.

他估计，大约空间站有10%-40%的部分将会完好无损地回到地球，散落在地球表面。

英国每日邮报网友评论：

译文来源：三泰虎 http://www.santaihu.com/44508.html

JeffFromOhio, Dayton, United States, about 4 hours ago

This is the 4th story on the same satellite. Last week it was New York that was going to get hit, prior to that it was Milwaukee, now this week its clear around the world in Australia..

这已经是这一颗卫星第4个版本的故事了。上周说是纽约，之前说是密尔沃基，现在又说是本周在澳大利亚。

The Beast, University of Gravity, United States, about 4 hours ago

Common-sense laws of gravity would prevent this tragedy. It's the twenty-first century. It's time for The Government to act. The exsting laws of gravity are outdated and were passed by dead white men should be repealed and replaced with forward-thinking laws of gravity.

常识性的万有引力定律可以防止这一悲剧的发生。现在是二十一世纪了，政府该采取行动了。现行的万有引力定律已经过时，是已经去世的白人认定的，早就该被废止了，该用具有前瞻性的万有引力定律来代替。

Barry Soetoro, Bohemian Grove, United States, about 5 hours ago

dont worry it's fake , they can't go to space, just like nasa.

别担心，这是假新闻，他们就像NASA（美国宇航局）那样上不了太空的。

Rob, Brisbane, about 6 hours ago

Mmm... Chinese quality, I don't think this space junk will be worth much..... oxymoron=Chinese stainless steel.

嗯，制造的质量堪忧啊，我不认为这个太空垃圾很值钱。就像不锈钢那样矛盾。

Fury., City of Ashes, United Kingdom, about 7 hours ago

Hopefully it lands directly on a m o s ¿ qUe which is full with worshipers at the time

真希望它能直接落在一个挤满礼拜者的地方。

Dirty Den, Bradistan, United Kingdom, about 7 hours ago

Australia seem to be the regular dum ground for space junk..Many years ago, parts of Skylab landed in Australia when it entered the atmosphere and broke up..Some of it is in a museum in Perth

澳大利亚好像是太空垃圾的常规堆积场。很多年前，太空实验室的一部分在掉入大气层解体的时候，也是掉落在澳大利亚。这其中的一部分还被存放在珀斯的博物馆里。

TalkSense, Distant Lands, United Kingdom, about 9 hours ago

This story has been dragging on and on.... Surely someone can work out where it coukd hit. Just scare mongering as per.

这个故事时不时就被拿出来炒一炒。肯定有人能算出会掉在哪里的，只是在散布谣言罢了。

bankofdad, Ottawa, Canada, about 10 hours ago

Since this is China's Space Station, one would have thought that at the last astronaut visit, knowing they were never coming back to it, that they would have purged it of the hazardous fuel before they left. But perhaps China is not as advanced as America in this area.................cheers

这是的空间站，人们本来可能会认为，在宇航员最后一次访问中，他们知道他们再也回不来了，在他们离开之前，他们会把危险的燃料清除掉。但也许并不像美国在这一领域那么先进.............

Geocen Trist, Flatown, Cayman Islands, about 10 hours ago

Obviously China is not yet quite as flawless as NASA. Of course they do not have an " ace in the hole " like Kubrick.

很明显，还达不到NASA那样完美无瑕。当然啦，他们没有库布里克这样的“王牌”。

square earth theory, emerald city, United States, 12 hours ago

Good thing Australia is 99% uninhabited.

好在澳大利亚99%的土地上荒无人烟

Oldbloke, Oslo, Sweden, 6 hours ago

Yeah, the difference between Australia and north america is that the 1% are intelligent

耶，澳大利亚和北美之间的区别就在于，这1%足够天才。

Geocen Trist, Flatown, Cayman Islands, 16 hours ago

Amazing, all these things supposedly racing around the Earth, yet when I look through my telescope ..... nothing !!

神奇神奇，这些东西本来应该绕着地球跑的，但是我用望远镜看，啥都看不到。

Youtubeisnotasubstituteforaneducation, Reality, United Kingdom, 9 hours ago

Ahh come now you can do better than that at least try... here ,,,,,....!!!' Knock yourself out....

啊哈，现在来试试，你可以做得更好，至少你试过了……在这里

别客气....

Dave12, Bristol, United Kingdom, 16 hours ago

I suspect it will break apart on re-entry and never be mentioned again.

我怀疑它在撞向地球的过程中就粉身碎骨，再也没人记得它。

Ausmike, Everywhere, United Kingdom, 16 hours ago

I have often heard that Chinese ¿junk¿ is quite small. I doubt it will do much damage as it re-enters...

我经常听说那个废物很小，我怀疑它掉回地球的时候破坏力更大一些。

alltheliesaretrue, London, United Kingdom, 17 hours ago

First Europe was put on alert now Australia is in the firing line, if that's the case then I predict it will land at sea with no injuries, aren't we all forgetting the computers running re-entry flight path predictions already know but DM likes to blow a bit of cold air up a scottsmans kilt

先是说欧洲可能受影响，现在又说澳大利亚有危险，如果是这样的话我才它可能会掉到海里，无人伤亡，我们别忘了电脑已经模拟推测了太空站返回地球的路线，媒体只是想让大家瞎操心。

yeah-nah, NSW, Australia, 17 hours ago

The sky is falling in....the sky is falling in.

天空就要塌了，天空就要塌了

Scottar99-9, Kendal, United Kingdom, 17 hours ago

Why dont they just admit they have no idea where its going to reenter?

他们干嘛不直接承认他们不知道要降落在哪儿？

Mike on the Ridgeway, South Oxfordshire England, United Kingdom, 17 hours ago

Can't someone from the Australian cricket team go up and rub some sandpaper on the outside? It may spin off and miss Australia then....

有没有澳大利亚板球队的人，直接上天去干掉它，这样澳大利亚就安全了。

Nick Toop, Sudbury, United Kingdom, 18 hours ago

If you look at the longitude lines you will see the orbit is in the top band for less than a sixth of the orbital period and the same for the lower band. It follows that it is at least twice as as likely to fall outside these bands as to fall within them.

如果你去看看经线，你会发现轨道的顶边不足1 / 6轨道周期，底边也一样。由此可见，它至少有两倍的几率落在顶边和底边之外。

Matthew O, Brisbane, Australia, 18 hours ago

I hope it hits me

希望它砸向我

yeah-nah, NSW, Australia, 17 hours ago

Matthew please look after yourself.

马修，保重。

pugsey, brisbane, Australia, 19 hours ago

Will it be as dangerous as when the american space station broke up a crashed onto Australia.More over the top reporting from an overexcited Mail hack.Experts did NOT say 40% would hit the Earth the said they ESTIMATED between 10% and 49% would hit.Notice the big difference between the two statements.

会不会像美国空间站撞向澳大利亚那次那么危险啊？专家们并没有说有40%的几率会撞上地球，他们只是估计有10%到49%的几率撞上地球。注意两个说法之间的巨大差异。

A sandwich with, Ham and, Turkey, 21 hours ago

I¿m Actually No. when you read half intelligent websites that have academic commentators. They have said with the size of the oceans mass and that Australia is sparsely populated there is basically zero chance. But that wouldn¿t sell papers would it?

我才不担心。你去看看登有学术评论的半智能网站时，他们说过，海洋的规模之大、澳大利亚的人口之稀少，基本上是零概率的。但这样写报纸就卖不出去了吧?

galfromthesouth, Cape Town, 12 hours ago

There is a 1% chance, though.

不怕一万，就怕万一。

haradin, surfers paradise, Australia, 21 hours ago

Lets imagine the worst scenario of it crashing on a heavily populated city and causing untold damage. Who if anyone is liable for this? My guess is the only ones liable are the ones affected by it.

让我们来想想一下最坏的场景，太空站掉到人口密集的城市，造成了不可估量的损失。谁要对此负责呢?我想唯一有责任的是受它影响的人。

James Avosa, Brisbane, Australia, 20 hours ago

It'll make great news stories for a few days!

过几天还会有它的更多新消息。

El Narros, Perth, Australia, 23 hours ago

Not only buying all of our property but also dum space junk into our outback?

买空我们的房子还不算，还要把太空垃圾也丢过来？