Space station to hit Earth Monday: China

No one knows for sure where debris from China's Tiangong-1 spacecraft spacecraft may land.

Out-of-control Tiangong 1 space station is expected to re-enter Earth on Monday. Source: AAP

China's Tiangong-1 spacecraft will re-enter the Earth's atmosphere at some point on Monday, China's space agency says.

China's Manned Space Agency did not specify a time when it expects the craft to re-enter the atmosphere, the statement on Sunday said.

No one knows for sure where debris from the spacecraft may land and many experts believe much of the craft is expected to burn up during the re-entry.

Beijing said on Friday it is unlikely for any large part of the craft to reach the ground.

The 10.4-metre-long Tiangong-1, or "Heavenly Palace 1", was launched in 2011 to carry out docking and orbit experiments as part of China's ambitious space programme, which aims to place a permanent station in orbit by 2023.

The spacelab was originally planned to be decommissioned in 2013 but its mission was repeatedly extended.

China had said its re-entry into Earth's atmosphere would happen in late 2017 but that process was delayed, leading some experts to suggest the space laboratory is out of control.