A Soviet space probe that failed its Venus mission is now heading back to Earth. Cosmos 482, launched in 1972, has been orbiting for 53 years after technical problems stopped it from reaching its target. Britain lies in the potential landing zone as the probe makes its uncontrolled descent this weekend. Scientists are tracking the space debris, which contains components designed to withstand extreme heat. The outcome remains uncertain as the Cold War relic returns home.
A relic of Cold War space exploration is headed home. After 53 years stranded in Earth’s orbit, the remains of Cosmos 482, a Soviet spacecraft originally intended to study Venus, are expected to make an uncontrolled reentry into Earth’s atmosphere around May 9-10, 2025. Britain appears to be in the potential path of the returning spacecraft.
Cosmos 482 was launched on March 31, 1972, as part of the Soviet Union’s Venera program designed to explore Venus. It was intended as a companion probe to Venera 8, which successfully landed on Venus in July 1972. However, Cosmos 482 never completed its journey to Venus due to technical failures during its rocket-assisted launch.
The ill-fated Venera companion launched in 1972 never reached Venus, trapped in Earth orbit after technical failures.
The spacecraft’s problems began when its Soyuz booster‘s upper stage stopped functioning too early. Astronomers believe a malfunction on a timer caused the engine to burn prematurely. As a result, the probe didn’t achieve sufficient velocity to launch into a Venus transfer trajectory and became stranded in Earth orbit.
After the failure, Cosmos 482 broke into four separate pieces. Two pieces that remained in low orbit decayed within 48 hours of launch. The other two pieces, including the large Venus lander probe, became stuck in Earth’s higher orbit and have been experiencing orbital decay for over five decades.
The most significant remaining piece is the descent module—the landing unit designed to withstand entry through Venus’s dense atmosphere. This unique design raises questions about whether the module could survive reentry through Earth’s atmosphere. The lander was built to similar specifications as the successful Venera 8 Venus lander, which transmitted data for 50 minutes from Venus’s surface. The probe measures approximately 3.2 feet across and weighs 1,100 pounds.
Satellite observer Marco Langbroek from the Netherlands has been monitoring the errant remains for several years. The spacecraft is expected to reenter on May 10 at precisely 03:37 UTC, though uncertainty remains regarding the exact landing location. Orbital decay has finally brought the spacecraft close enough to reenter Earth’s atmosphere this weekend, marking the end of a failed mission that became one of space exploration’s longest-orbiting artifacts.
References
- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/spacecraft-kosmos-482-plunging-back-earth-what-to-know/
- https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/failed-soviet-era-spacecraft-expected-crash-back-earth/story?id=121533765
- https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/a-failed-soviet-venus-lander-will-fall-back-to-earth-after-being-stranded-for-53-years
- https://time.com/7283460/soviet-spacecraft-plunging-back-to-earth-what-to-know/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venera
