Latest news with #Cosmos-482
India Today
09-05-2025
- Science
- India Today
Russian spacecraft weighing half a ton to crash on Earth. Why it's worrying
A relic of the early space age, the Soviet Cosmos-482 descent craft, is set for an uncontrolled reentry into Earth's spacecraft is on a trajectory to crash on Earth on May 10, more than 53 years after its failed mission to in 1972 as part of the Soviet Venera program, the 495 kg lander never escaped Earth's gravity due to a rocket malfunction, remaining in a decaying orbit ever WHY IS ITS ARRIVAL WORRYING?What makes this reentry particularly worrisome is the robust design of the descent to survive the extreme conditions of Venus-enduring up to 300 G's of acceleration and 100 atmospheres of pressure-the capsule is encased in a titanium heat most space debris, which burns up on reentry, Cosmos-482 is likely to survive the fiery plunge and reach Earth's surface largely intact. As Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Center for Astrophysics, notes, 'Its heat shield means that the half-ton, one-metre-diameter sphere might well survive Earth atmosphere entry and hit the ground. In which case I expect it'll have the usual one-in-several-thousand chance of hitting someone. The vehicle is dense but inert and has no nuclear materials. No need for major concern, but you wouldn't want it bashing you on the head."advertisementThe exact time and location of the impact remain uncertain, with predictions spanning May 10 to May 13 and anywhere between 52 degrees north and south latitude-covering most populated regions on the odds of injury are low-estimated at about 1 in 25,000 for causing deadly damage-experts warn that the risk, though small, is not the immediate safety concerns, the event highlights the ongoing hazards posed by aging space debris. Cosmos-482's return is points to thousands of uncontrolled objects still orbiting Earth, some built with materials and designs that could survive space activity intensifies, experts stress the need for better tracking and international protocols to mitigate risks from future uncontrolled reentries.
Daily Mirror
08-05-2025
- Science
- Daily Mirror
Out-of-control Soviet craft hurtling towards Earth could hit UK this weekend
A failed Soviet spacecraft once destined to go to Venus will plummet towards Earth this weekend after decades stuck in space - scientists say it could land on the UK An out-of-control Soviet spacecraft is set to crash into Earth this week - and it could hit Britain. After initially estimating that it would land at some point within a five-day window this month, scientists are now confident that the Cosmos-482 - a failed Russian Venus lander stranded in Earth's orbit since 1972 - will make an "uncontrolled re-entry" at 08.12 BST on Sunday. The exact landing site is still unknown, but the potential impact zone of the craft covers much of the globe between 52° north and 52° south latitude - which takes in the south of England and parts of Wales. And because the probe was designed to survive Venus' harsh atmosphere, some parts, especially the titanium descent capsule, are likely reach the surface intact. Scientists had constructed Cosmos-482 in the 1970s under the USSR's ambitious Venera programme, which set out to gather new information about Venus. Things initially appeared promising when the craft launched on March 31, 1972, and it successfully made it into Earth's orbit. But an incorrectly set timer on board the automated craft is thought to have botched the crucial second stage, meaning it never reached Venus, and didn't even leave Earth's orbit. It has been orbiting our planet ever since, and during this time has split into four pieces. One of Cosmos-482's pieces - the landing module - is now set to return to Earth. It is estimated to be around one metre long and weigh 480kg (75st). After predicting it would fall for years, space agencies are closely monitoring the module's descent - and most forecasts suggest it will likely fall into the ocean, rather than on land. The European Space Agency said: "On 10 May, an uncontrolled reentry will take place of the so-called Cosmos-482 descent craft, a Soviet Venera landing capsule that launched 53 years ago. "It was meant to land on Venus, but its launcher never escaped Earth's gravity. Now, the descent craft will come down at a point between 52 degrees north and south of the equator. "As the reentry comes closer, the predictions will become more precise in the updates." NASA also released an update on the progress of the craft today. It read: "The orbit of the Cosmos 482 lander probe is decaying and it is expected to reenter Earth's atmosphere some time from May 9 to May 10, 2025, centred on roughly May 10 at 07:30 UT. "Because the probe was designed to withstand entry into the Venus atmosphere, it is possible the probe will survive reentry at Earth and reach the surface. "As of May 8, the landing location could be anywhere between 52 N and 52 S latitude. The time and location of atmospheric reentry should be known more accurately over the next day or so, but the uncertainty will be fairly significant right up to reentry."
