Soviet Venus Probe Now Falling to Earth. Content Warning.
After more than 50 years in orbit, a spacecraft from the Soviet Union called Kosmos 482 is set to return to Earth's atmosphere. Launched on March 31, 1972, as part of the Soviet Union's Venera program to explore Venus, the spacecraft failed to leave Earth's orbit due to a launch malfunction. While most of the mission's components re-entered earlier, the 495 kg lander module remained in orbit and is now expected to crash back to Earth around May 10, 2025.
