The Soviet spacecraft got stuck in the orbit for 53 years, finally it may return to Earth next week. What is Cosmos 482? Where will it land?

A Soviet spacecraft According to space debris-tracking experts, the 1970s launched for a mission for Venus, now expected to make an uncontrolled comeback on Earth.
Dutch scientist and satellite tracker Marco Langbrock of Delft University of Technology says that the re -entry of the unsuccessful spacecraft expected around May 10 is uncommon, but not the cause of public nervousness. If it remains intact, it can hit the ground at about 150 mph (242 km/h).
“While without risk, we should not be very worried,” Langbrock said in an email.
The vessel is comparatively compact and, even the remaining remaining, “Risk is similar to a random meteorite decline, many of which occur every year. You run a big risk of colliding with lightning in your lifetime,” he said.
He further stated that the possibility of a spacecraft is the least likely to striking a person or object, “it cannot be completely excluded.”

What is Cosmos 482?

The spacecraft, known as Cosmos 482, was part of the 1970s era of the Soviet Union. Venus investigation Program.
Launched on 31 March 1972, it failed to leave the Earth’s orbit after a rocket malfunction, possibly due to a misunderstanding timer, stuck in the Earth’s orbit instead of sending it to Venus.
The spacecraft broke into four pieces, and one of them – a circular landing module about 1 meter wide and about 480–500 kg – has been circling Earth for more than 50 years in a decaying orbit.
Originally around 10,000 kilometers above the Earth, the object is now below 400 kilometers and is expected to re -enter the atmosphere around May 10.
There have been similar uncontrolled re -entries in recent years, including the debris from China’s long march rocket and parts of the SpaceX rocket found in Australia and Poland.

Will Cosmos 482 enter again?

Experts say the spacecraft can enter anywhere between 51.7 ° North and South latitudes-a wide area which includes cities such as London and Edmonton, which according to ABC Science is all avenues of the Cape Horn of South America.
However, since most of the Earth is covered by the Ocean, the possibility is good that it will actually end in some oceans “, Langbrock said.
In 2022, a Chinese rocket booster made an uncontrolled comeback on Earth, and in 2018, the Tiangong -1 space station fell into the South Pacific after a similar re -entry.
Right now, space agencies around the world are monitoring Cosmos 482 as it continues its slow lineage. But it is still too early to say where it will land – or will it be burnt in the atmosphere.
Many pieces of space junk end in a remote part of the Pacific Ocean, often called the “spacecraft cemetery”.

Why is it called Cosmos?

According to NASA, starting in 1962, the Soviet Union used the name “Cosmos” (or “Cosmos) for any spacecraft, which stayed in the Earth’s orbit – even though it was not the original plan. Many of these missions were to detect other planets, but after failing to leave the classroom, its name was changed.
Historical records and expert sources confirm that some “Cosmos” missions were actually planetary probes. These missions typically began with a spacecraft to be placed in a temporary Earth’s orbit.
From there, a booster engine had to get a fire for about four minutes to examine its target – such as Venus or Mars. If that final engine burn failed, the spacecraft got stuck in the Earth’s orbit and instead received the designation “Cosmos”.

Will it enter again?

There is a real possibility of permanent in the spacecraft. Due to its construction for dense atmospheric entry of Venus, Cosmos 482 has extraordinary durability compared to specific space items.
However, survival through spacecraft Atmospheric re -entry She takes apprehension. The strong design of the lander, especially Venus’ carbon dioxide-rich environment, contributes to its extraordinary flexibility.
Citing its construction for Venus’ carbon dioxide-dens environment, weighing more than 1,000LB (about 500 kg), weighing more than 1,000LB (about 500 kg), can re-enter, in accordance with the language of the Delt University of Technology in the Netherlands.
Experts have reservation about the functionality of the parachute system after decades. Extended orbital risk may affect the integrity of the heat shield.
According to Jonathan McDowell at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the failure of the heat shield would improve, leading to the disintegration of the spacecraft during the atmospheric lineage.
However, should the heat shield remain intact, “It will retain again and you have a half ton metal item falling from the sky”.
For now, the space trackers will watch until it comes down at the end – wherever it can happen.