Soviet Spacecraft Crashes After 53 Years in Orbit
The Kosmos 482 probe, launched in 1972 as part of the Soviet Venera program, failed to reach Venus due to a rocket malfunction and remained in Earth orbit for 53 years. The spacecraft, which consisted of a main body and a lander, reentered the atmosphere, with the lander finally crashing harmlessly into the Indian Ocean. While the risk of harm was deemed minimal, this event underscores the growing concern about uncontrolled space debris reentering Earth’s atmosphere.
John Q. Hosedrinker