While You Slept: Space Station Falls to Earth

China's out-of-control Tiangong-I Space Lab is predicted to re-enter Earth's atmosphere Sunday, April Fool's Day.

The space station will likely return to earth at approximately 10 p.m. EDT Sunday, give or take 7 hours, according to Aerospace, a private space engineering and research company that has been tracking the progress of the 9.4-ton, school-bus-sized space station for months.

The European Space Agency (ESA) also predicts an April 1 re-entry, although it notes that it could change, particularly since a quieter-than-usual sun is allowing the craft to remain aloft longer than previously expected.

While an exact location is unknown, the latest prediction has the space station re-entering the atmosphere above Africa, space.com notes. However, that could change quickly.

Michigan is in the re-entry zone and is preparing for the unlikely event that debris from the space station lands somewhere in the state.

On Thursday, Gov. Rick Snyder activated the state’s Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) to monitor the reentry of Tiangong-I, clickondetroit.com reports. 

“While the chances are slim that any of the debris will land in Michigan, we are monitoring the situation and are prepared to respond quickly if it does,” said Capt. Chris A. Kelenske, Deputy State Director of Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division. “The state will rely on its existing satellite reentry response and recovery plan for any necessary response protocols.”

(MORE: Chinese Space Station Will Fall to Earth Within Days; Here's What You Need to Know)

The likelihood anyone will be injured or killed by debris from the remnants of the spacecraft after it passes through the atmosphere is remote. The most likely scenario is that any remaining debris from Tiangong-1 will land in the ocean or in unpopulated areas.

According to Aerospace, the risk that an individual will be "hit and injured by the reentry of a generic space object is estimated to be less than one in one trillion."

"To put this into context, the risk that an individual in the U.S. will be struck by lightning is about one in 1.4 million," the company notes.

Only one person has ever been struck by falling debris. Lottie Williams of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was uninjured in 1996 when a small piece of debris from a rocket fuel tank fell on her shoulder while she was out for a walk.

In the unlikely event debris falls on your property, China would be obligated to pay for damages under the Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects.