China’s 8.5 tonne Tiangong-1 space lab burned up in the sky over the South Pacific on Monday, meeting its fiery end after wrong-footing space officials who were tracking its final journey.

The bus-sized module crashed to earth at 1.15am, China’s space authority said, with the “vast majority” burning up as it reentered the atmosphere.

The disintegration of Tiangong-1, or Heavenly Palace, sparked sadness among enthusiasts who lamented the loss of a craft which "carried millions of Chinese' space dreams".

The remote location of impact also deprived space-watchers of the illuminated spectacle that many had hoped for as they waited in suspense for one of only a handful of large vessel descents in recent decades.

Observers have been captivated by the demise of the 10.4-metre long (34.1-foot) Tiangong-1, with many guessing where precisely the craft might hurtle through the atmosphere at speeds of up to 17,000 mph.