From Venus Failure to Earthfall: 'Kosmos 482' Ends Long Journey

A relic of the Soviet space program, 'Kosmos 482', has finally returned to Earth after over half a century in orbit following a failed mission to Venus. The European Union Space Surveillance and Tracking (EUSST) agency confirmed the uncontrolled reentry of the spacecraft.

The agency's space debris office indicated that Kosmos 482 had re-entered Earth's atmosphere, noting its disappearance from German radar stations. The precise location of its atmospheric entry remains unknown at this time. However, scientists suggest that the likelihood of debris causing any impact on populated areas is currently very low.

Launched by the Soviet Union in 1972, Kosmos 482 was part of a Venus mission. Unfortunately, the spacecraft never managed to escape Earth's orbit, becoming stranded due to a reported rocket malfunction. It joins a series of other spacecraft from that decade's unsuccessful launch attempts that eventually fell back to Earth. In this case, the descent took an astonishing 53 years.

Experts estimate the lander, constructed from titanium, weighed over 495 kilograms. Prior to its reentry, scientists, military specialists, and others were uncertain about the exact time and location of its return. This uncertainty was compounded by solar activity and the degraded condition of the spacecraft after its extended time in space. The United States Space Command had not yet confirmed the reentry, as they were actively collecting and analyzing orbital data. The long-awaited return of Kosmos 482 marks the end of a decades-long journey for this piece of space history.