that something could go wrong with Russia's operation to dump Mir into the remote Pacific and wreckage the size of a small car could hit Australia.
"Due to the variable nature of the atmosphere and the shape of Mir, its performance [on reentry] is unpredictable,'' EMA director general David Templeman said.
"Some large parts, up to about 700 kilograms (1,543 pounds) the size of a small car -- may survive,'' he said.
by Russia between March 10 and 15.
If all goes according to plan, the space station will drop into a remote area of the south Pacific some 5,000 kilometers (3,000 miles) east of Australia between New Zealand and Chile.
The stretch of ocean has become known as the space junk ''graveyard,'' said Australian officials, as it was frequently used by Russian space officials looking for a wide, safe target to dump unwanted satellites.
Two-thirds of the aging and accident prone 130-ton space station should burn up in the controlled descent, but Templeman said debris will travel as fast as 0.6 mile (1 kilometer) a second.
He said Australia's emergency management team has prepared contingency plans with state and local governments around the country to deal with any debris threat and will issue regular media updates on the Mir situation.
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