A segment of a defunct Soviet spacecraft, orbiting the Earth for over five decades, is on track for reentry. The Kosmos 482 probe was launched by the USSR in 1972 with the goal of gathering information from Venus’s surface, but a malfunction in its upper-stage rocket booster left it stranded in orbit.
After its launch, Kosmos 482 disintegrated, with some components re-entering Earth’s atmosphere throughout the 1980s. However, the remaining debris, including a 1,091-pound (495-kilogram) lander measuring approximately three feet, is now anticipated to fall on or about May 10th, according to Dutch scientist Marco Langbroek.
The exact landing site is currently unknown, and it remains uncertain whether the space debris will incinerate upon reentry. Langbroek highlights the unique design of the lander, which was engineered to withstand the extreme conditions of Venus’s atmosphere, where temperatures average around 867 degrees Fahrenheit (464 degrees Celsius). This raises the possibility that the lander could endure the reentry process. The descent is expected to be uncontrolled, casting doubt on the functionality of the lander’s parachute system after years of inactivity.
The probability of an individual being struck by Kosmos 482 is exceedingly low. Langbroek elaborated to The Guardian that “the risk is comparable to that of a random meteorite fall, which occurs several times each year.” He added, “You are more likely to be hit by lightning in your lifetime.”
