A decades-old Soviet spacecraft originally launched toward Venus is now on course to crash back to Earth. The Kosmos 482 Descent Craft, which launched on March 31, 1972, and weighs just under 500kg, is expected to reenter Earth’s atmosphere at a speed of roughly 250 km/h around May 10.

According to a report by The Independent, the failed Venus-bound probe has remained in orbit for over 50 years due to a technical malfunction. Now, space experts say it could reenter in an uncontrolled descent resembling a meteorite fall.

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A failed Venus mission stuck in Earth orbit

“In about 2 weeks from now, an unusual uncontrolled reentry will happen: a 53-year-old landing capsule from a failed Soviet Venera mission stuck in Earth orbit,” satellite tracker Dr. Marco Langbroek wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Langbroek added that due to the lander’s robust design—originally meant to survive the harsh environment of Venus—there’s a chance the spacecraft could survive reentry and crash to Earth largely intact.

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Why is this descent unusual

Since most space debris burns up in the atmosphere, the durability of Kosmos 482 makes this event unusual. “As this is a lander that was designed to survive passage through the Venus atmosphere, it is possible it will survive reentry through the Earth atmosphere intact, and impact intact,” Langbroek said.

He added that uncertainty remains due to factors like the object’s age and the shallow trajectory of its descent.

Where will it crash?

It is too early to predict the impact site. With an orbital inclination of 51.7 degrees, the satellite could reenter anywhere between latitudes 52°N and 52°S. While it’s likely to fall into the ocean, there remains a slight chance of a terrestrial crash.

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