What Goes Up, Must Come Down: Here’s How We Crash Spacecraft Safely

Returning a spacecraft back to Earth can be a dire situation. How do we make sure they won’t smash into cities?
The Threat to Space Travel That No One's Talking About -
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China’s 9½-ton Space Lab Will Soon Crash To Earth. No One Knows Where It Will Hit
“China's first space laboratory, Tiangong-1, which translates to “Heavenly Palace,” launched on Sept. 30, 2011, serving as a prototype for the permanent space station China aims to eventually build. But six years after it first went into orbit, the 9½-ton laboratory is expected to meet a fiery and uncontrolled end, hurtling to Earth and crashing somewhere — anywhere — on the planet.”
This Is Where The International Space Station Will Go To Die
“Off the coast of New Zealand, the Pacific Ocean is home to what may be the most exclusive scientific burial ground in the world: the so-called Spacecraft Cemetery has become the final resting place for hundreds of man made space objects.”
Space Station to Fall to Earth—Find Out How and Where
“At some point the mission will end, and the orbiting laboratory will be directed to plunge toward Earth. The station can't simply be left in orbit, or it will eventually fall from the skies on its own, raining debris over a wide swath of the planet and possibly endangering people on the ground. So what exactly will happen when we no longer need the biggest artificial space object in history?”
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Special thanks to Amy Shira Teitel for writing this episode of Seeker!
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This episode of Seeker was hosted by Trace Dominguez.