The Soviet spacecraft Kosmos 482, designed to fly to Venus in the 1970s and which has remained in Earth orbit for decades, could re-enter the atmosphere uncontrolled in the coming days, writes AP.
According to experts, the metal body weighing more than half a ton could return to Earth in the first two weeks of May. It is unknown where the device will land and whether it will completely burn up in the atmosphere.
According to the assessment of the Dutch scientist Marco Langbroek, the device is likely to re-enter the atmosphere around May 10 at a speed of about 242 km / h. However, he emphasizes that there is no need to worry.
“Although the danger is not excluded, it is comparable to the probability of a meteorite falling. There are several such cases a year. The probability of your being struck by lightning is higher,” Langbroek noted.
The Soviet Union launched the Kosmos 482 spacecraft to Venus in 1972. However, after a rocket failure during launch, it failed to leave Earth’s orbit. Most of the spacecraft re-entered the atmosphere about 10 years later. Still, its landing module, a 1-meter-diameter, 500-kilogram (1,100-pound) craft, continued to orbit Earth in a highly elliptical orbit for over half a century.
The module is designed to withstand Venus’s dense carbon dioxide atmosphere, which increases its likelihood of surviving Earth’s atmospheric pressure and falling without completely burning up.
