From Space to Ground: USSR’s Space Probe Heads for Earth – Timing and Consequences Unveiled

After more than five decades in orbit, the Soviet-era Kosmos 482 probe-which had been launched in 1972 on a mission to Venus-crashed into the Indian Ocean off Jakarta early on May 10, 2025, after its re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. Designed to endure the harsh conditions on Venus, the 500-kilogram, one-meter-diameter lander was robust enough that scientists believed it could survive re-entry, and it would have arrived intact on the surface.

 

Despite its size and power, the risk to humans was always extremely low, with much of the Earth's surface water-covered and the risk of injury much less than being struck by lightning. The exact point of re-entry is oceanic, and there are no reported damage or casualties. Kosmos 482's fiery re-entry reminds us of the Cold War's enduring legacy in space-and the growing issue of old space debris re-entering the Earth's atmosphere

 

Source: NYT, Space.com, EarthSky