The Soviet-era spacecraft Kosmos 482 has reentered Earth after 53 years in orbit, plunging into the Indian Ocean early Saturday morning.
After being stuck in space for more than half a century, a failed Soviet-era spacecraft—designed to collect data from Venus —crashed into the Indian Ocean west of Jakarta, Indonesia in the early hours of Saturday.
The crash was reported by Russia’s space agency Roscosmos through a statement on the instant messaging app Telegram.The spacecraft was launched as part of the Soviet Union’s ambitious Venera program towards the fag end of the Space Race in 1972. The mission proved to be a failure as the spacecraft never reached Venus and instead remained stranded in the Earth’s orbit for 53 years. Kosmos 482 was built as the twin of Venera 8, which launched in July 1972 and became the second spacecraft—after Venera 7—to successfully land on Venus. Venera 8 transmitted data from the planet’s scorching surface for just over 50 minutes before succumbing to the extreme conditions.Unclear if lander survived reentry impactIn the case of Kosmos 482, a malfunction in the upper stage of its rocket booster Soyuz left the spacecraft with only enough velocity to be trapped in the Earth’s elliptical orbit. Now, less than 5,000 miles from its original launch site at Kazakhstan’s Baikonur Cosmodrome, the probe’s decades-long journey has finally come to an end.Although the crash avoided damage to property or life, it is still unclear whether the spacecraft’s lander survived the impact of reentry. According to the statement by Roscosmos, “the Kosmos-482 spacecraft has ceased to exist after deorbiting and falling into the Indian Ocean.” The agency noted that the descent was tracked by the Automated Warning System for Hazardous Situations in Near-Earth Space.In the aftermath of its failed launch, Kosmos 482 split into several components, with one component comprising the main body and the lander. The main section reentered Earth’s atmosphere on May 5, 1981—nine years after launch—while the lander continued orbiting in a slow decay that lasted over five decades.Space debris a cause for concernDesigned to withstand the harsh conditions of Venus’ atmosphere, the 1,091-pound, 3-foot lander is expected to remain mostly intact if recovered. Under a UN treaty, any surviving debris from the spacecraft would belong to Russia.Kosmos 482’s reentry highlights the increasing problem of space debris orbiting the Earth. Since the late 1950s, thousands of satellites have been launched into orbit. While many have fulfilled their missions, they remain in space as inactive or defunct satellites, adding to the expanding issue of collection waste in the orbit. Although the risk of injury or damage from any single reentry is very low—with most debris burning up in the atmosphere and the rest landing in the ocean or on uninhabited land—the chances of a destructive impact grow as the number of reentries increase.The European Space Agency estimates that around 3,000 dead satellites are currently orbiting Earth, presenting a growing risk to human safety. The majority of operational satellites belong to SpaceX’s Starlink broadband megaconstellation, which currently includes around 7,200 satellites and continues to expand.
Roscosmos Soviet Union Space Space Debris Space Probe Space Race Spacecraft Venus
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Kosmos 482: 1,000-pound Soviet Venus probe could crash to earth after 53 yearsTypically, the risk to populated areas is low, with debris more likely to fall into remote regions of the ocean.
Read more »
The Story Of Kosmos 482, The Soviet Spaceship About To Crash To EarthAfter 53 years in orbit, wayward Soviet spacecraft Kosmos 482 finally gets to land – albeit on the wrong planet.
Read more »
What to Know about Kosmos-482, the Soviet Spacecraft Crash-Landing on EarthKosmos-482, a failed mission to Venus from the former Soviet Union that stalled in Earth orbit in the 1970s, is about to fall back to our planet. Exactly where or when it will strike, however, remains unknown
Read more »
Soviet Kosmos 482 spacecraft crashes into an unknown site on EarthDavid M. Ewalt is an editor for NBC News focusing on science and health.
Read more »
Soviet-era spacecraft Kosmos 482 plunges to Earth after 53 years stuck in orbitA Soviet-era spacecraft has plunged to Earth, more than a half-century after its failed launch to Venus. The half-ton spacecraft fell out of orbit on Saturday. The European Union Space Surveillance and Tracking confirmed its uncontrolled entry.
Read more »
Failed Soviet Venus lander Kosmos 482 crashes to Earth after 53 years in orbitMichael Wall is a Senior Space Writer with Space.com and joined the team in 2010. He primarily covers exoplanets, spaceflight and military space, but has been known to dabble in the space art beat. His book about the search for alien life, 'Out There,' was published on Nov. 13, 2018.
Read more »