spacecraft: Soviet-era spacecraft heading towards Earth this month could be a bad news; here’s why todayheadline

A spacecraft that was launched by the now-dissolved Soviet Union back in the 1970s is expected to make an uncontrolled return to the Earth this month. The intended destination of the Kosmos 482 was Venus. However, the probe couldn’t leave the Earth’s orbit due to a rocket malfunction and remained stuck there. With the orbit of its lander probe decaying gradually for decades, the Soviet-era spacecraft is soon expected to make a crash landing on Earth.

Spacecraft’s crash landing: Here’s what experts are saying

Space debris-tracking experts believe any guess at the present about the landing spot would be too premature. They are also unsure of how much of the lander probe will survive upon the impact. A timeline for the event predicted by Dutch scientist Marco Langbroek puts the deadline of impact around May 10. The satellite tracker estimates that Kosmos 482 will touch the ground with an impact velocity of 242 kmph, given that it remains intact while entering Earth’s atmosphere.

Also Read : Max Verstappen, partner Kelly Piquet welcome their first baby ahead of the Miami GP

Kosmos 482: Will the impact be dangerous?

The lander probe weighs roughly 500 kgs. Langbroek has noted that while risk persists, the expected crash is not something that people should get “too worried” about. He added that the object is relatively small and, even if it does not disintegrate, the risk posed by the uncontrolled landing is “similar to that of a random meteorite fall”. The scientist explained that an average person has greater chances of getting struck by a lightning strike during their lifetime, according to British daily The Guardian.

He, however, cautioned that the probability of the lander probe actually crashing on someone or something cannot be ruled out entirely. The spherical landing module measures nearly 3 ft in diameter.

Kosmos 482: History in a glance

Kosmos 482 was launched by the Soviets in 1972. After the malfunction in space, most of the debris from the failed spacecraft hit the ground over a span of a decade.

The lander probe, however, continued to remain in orbit, which has been shrinking ever since. Kosmos 482 was launched aboard an SL-6/A-2-e launch vehicle. As per reports, there is a possibility that the lander (or parts of it) will remain intact after reentry to the Earth’s atmosphere as the object was designed to withstand entry into Venus’s atmosphere.

Also Read : International Harry Potter Day 2025: Know when Harry Potter TV series is releasing?

FAQs

1 . When was Kosmos 482 launched?
Kosmos 482, a Venus mission designed by the Soviet Union, was launched in 1972.

2 . When is the lander probe of the spacecraft likely to crash on Earth?
Dutch scientist Marco Langbroek has predicted that the lander probe of Kosmos 482 will likely crash land on Earth around May 10.