Tracking Cosmos 482: When will the Soviet-era spacecraft return to Earth?

Yahoo

09-05-2025

A 50-plus-year-old Soviet-era spacecraft is expected to return to Earth this weekend.
Cosmos 482 was launched to space by the Soviet Union in March 1972, with the intent of landing on Venus to conduct scientific measurements. However, an apparent engine malfunction kept the spacecraft from landing properly and since, it has remained abandoned in Earth's low-orbit. Until now.
Just a few weeks after its 53rd launch anniversary, Cosmos 482 is expected to descend back to Earth's atmosphere between Friday, May 9 and Saturday, May 10, according to NASA. When and where the spacecraft will land though, remains unknown to officials.
Here's what to know about Cosmos 482 and its return to Earth.
Various space entities give a variety of estimates of when the spacecraft could make its return, but the latest projections center on the early morning hours of Saturday, May 10. Here are the latest projections of when the spacecraft could re-enter Earth, as of midday Friday, May 9:
NASA expects Cosmos 482 to return to Earth roughly around 3:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, May 10.
The European Space Agency predicts the spacecraft to return around 2:26 a.m. ET on Saturday, May 10.
And The Aerospace Corporation, a federally-funded research and development center, predicts Cosmos 482 to re-enter Earth's orbit around 1:54 a.m. ET on Saturday, May 10.
Officials are unsure of where exactly Cosmos 482 will land.
As of Friday, both NASA and the European Space Agency predict the spacecraft to land somewhere between 52 N and 52 S latitude, which encompasses the majority of the northern and southern hemispheres.
Reentries can be possible to see from the ground, but Cosmos 482's reentry visibility will be dependent on where it lands. If the spacecraft lands in the ocean or an unpopulated area, it won't be easy to spot, The Aerospace Corporation stated. If the spacecraft lands in a population area, it will need to be dark to see it best.
It is unlikely that Cosmos 482 is a danger risk to humans. The spacecraft is smaller and lighter than other objects The Aerospace Corporation typically raises awareness about, the nonprofit reported.
If Cosmos 482 remains fully intact as it reenters Earth's atmosphere, The Aerospace Corporation projects a risk of 0.40 in 10,000.
Though it is unlikely Cosmos 482 would land in anyone's yard, The Aerospace Corporation reminds folks that if this were to happen, do not touch the spacecraft because it could be potentially hazardous. Again though, it is much more likely that Cosmos 482 will land in the ocean or an unpopulated area.
Cosmos 482, also known as Kosmos 482, was one in a pair of identical Venus atmospheric lander probes that the Soviet Union launched in 1972. The other spacecraft, Venera 8, successfully arrived to Venus to make scientific measurements of the planet's soil before ceasing operation.
Cosmos 482 launched four days after Venera 8 and it is believed that a malfunction resulted in an engine burn, which did not achieve the needed velocity to reach Venus' atmosphere, according to NASA. The spacecraft separated into four pieces, two of which remained in Earth's low orbit and decayed within 48 hours, and the other two pieces went into a higher orbit.
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at [e-mail].
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tracking Cosmos 482's reentry: What time will it return to Earth?