Soviet Venus Probe Now Falling to Earth

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.

The lander was designed to withstand extreme conditions, including 300 g of acceleration and 100 atmospheres of pressure, making it potentially resilient enough to survive re-entry intact. Its descent is expected to occur at speeds of up to 17,000 mph, with a wide potential impact zone between 52 degrees north and south latitude, encompassing cities like London, New York, and Beijing.

While the chance of it hitting land is statistically low—given that 71% of Earth’s surface is ocean—the possible impact zone spans a wide latitudinal range across multiple continents, including parts of the southern UK and the United States.

Observers may see a visible streak in the sky when the spacecraft re-enters. The event highlights growing concerns about space debris, with over 54,000 objects currently in orbit. Experts warn of increasing risks from space debris as more survive re-entry.