Out-of-control Chinese space lab Tiangong-1 crashes | Watch Video

China's defunct Tiangong-1 space lab re-entered the Earth's atmosphere breaking apart above the South Pacific on Monday at 00:16 GMT.

The spacecraft burnt up above the ocean's central region at 8:15 am local time (0015 UTC), China's Manned Space Engineering Office said.

Earlier, it was said that the craft was expected to reach Earth's atmosphere southwest of British South Atlantic island of Ascension. Later, it revised its estimate to off the coast of Brazil.

US specialists at the Joint Force Space Component Command said they had used orbit analysis technology to confirm Tiangong-1's re-entry.

Astronomer Jonathan McDowell, from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, tweeted that it appeared to have come down north-west of Tahiti.

NW of Tahiti - it managed to miss the 'spacecraft graveyard' which is further south! 

— Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589) April 2, 2018

About Tiangong-1

# The Tiangong -1 "mostly" burnt was launched in 2011 to carry out docking and orbit experiments. 

# China's ambitious space program, which aims to place a permanent station in orbit by 2023.
The space station completed six docking manoeuvers with Chinese Shenzhou spacecraft, and the first two Chinese taikonauts had also been on board and even taught a class that was broadcast into schools across the country.

# The 8.5-ton spacecraft was originally planned to be decommissioned in 2013 but its mission was repeatedly extended.