Latest news with #CenterforAstrophysicsatHarvard&Smithsonian
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Cosmos 482, a 1972 Soviet spacecraft, is set to return to Earth this week
This colorized picture of Venus was taken Feb. 14, 1990, from a distance of almost 1.7 million miles, about 6 days after NASA's Galileo made it's closest approach to the planet. A spacecraft launched in 1972 and failed to enter Venus is set to return to Earth sometime this week. The Soviet-era spacecraft was meant to be a Venus probe. However, it failed to escape low Earth orbit, according to NASA. On Monday, NASA said that Cosmos 482 will return to Earth sometime between Wednesday, May 7, and May 13. The spacecraft is expected to start descending on Saturday, May 10. The space agency said that since the probe was designed to withstand entry into Venus' atmosphere, it is possible that parts of it will survive reentry. Here is what to know about Cosmos 482. What was Cosmos 482 The name Cosmos (or Kosmos) was given to Soviet spacecraft that remained in Earth's orbit beginning in 1962, regardless of whether that was their intended final destination, according to NASA. The space agency points to evidence from Soviet and non-Soviet sources and historical documents to substantiate its belief that Cosmos 482 was intended to reach Venus. The probe was launched four days after the Venera 8 atmospheric probe that made it to Venus and had an identical design, NASA said. Soviet planetary missions were initially put into Earth's orbit as a launch platform with a rocket engine and attached probe, according to NASA. The probes were then launched toward their targets with an engine burn that lasted roughly four minutes. Cosmos 482 separated into four pieces, with two decaying in low Earth orbit within 48 hours and the remaining in higher orbit. It is thought that a malfunction during the engine burn left the craft unable to reach the velocity needed to escape orbit and reach Venus, according to NASA. Could Cosmos 482 hit something? Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Center for Astrophysics at Harvard & Smithsonian, told NPR that the probe is in its "final death plunge". "There's a not-trivial chance that it could hit somewhere where it damages property, and there's a small chance − but it's like 1 in thousands − that it could hurt someone," he said. More: What time is the ETA Aquarids? Here's when to see meteor shower in Texas Source: USAToday This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Cosmos 482, a 1972 Soviet spacecraft, is set to return to Earth this week
The Herald Scotland
07-05-2025
- Science
- The Herald Scotland
Cosmos 482: Soviet spacecraft to return to Earth after over 50 years
The space agency said that since the probe was designed to withstand entry into Venus' atmosphere, it is possible that parts of it will survive reentry. The spacecraft was meant to be a Venus probe. But it failed to escape low Earth orbit following its launch in 1972, according to NASA. Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Center for Astrophysics at Harvard & Smithsonian, told NPR that the probe is in its "final death plunge." "There's a not-trivial chance that it could hit somewhere where it damages property, and there's a small chance - but it's like one in thousands - that it could hurt someone," he said. What was Cosmos 482 The name Cosmos (or Kosmos) was given to Soviet spacecraft that remained in Earth's orbit beginning in 1962, regardless of whether that was their intended final destination - according to NASA. The space agency points to evidence from Soviet and non-Soviet sources and historical documents to substantiate its belief that Cosmos 482 was intended to reach Venus. The probe was launched four days after the Venera 8 atmospheric probe that made it to Venus and had an identical design, NASA said. Soviet planetary missions were initially put into Earth's orbit as a launch platform with a rocket engine and attached probe, according to NASA. The probes were then launched toward their targets with an engine burn with a duration of roughly four minutes. Cosmos 482 separated into four pieces, with two pieces decaying in low Earth orbit within 48 hours and the remaining pieces remaining in higher orbit. It is thought that a malfunction during the engine burn left the craft unable to reach the velocity needed to escape orbit and reach Venus, according to NASA.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Soviet spacecraft expected to crash land on Earth in just days. Here's what to know
A piece of Soviet-era space debris is expected to crash land down to Earth this weekend. The Russian Kosmos 482 spacecraft launched in 1972 could come plunging down some time between Friday and Sunday, according to NASA – but exactly when and where is currently a mystery. As of Tuesday, the lander probe could strike between 52 degrees north latitude and 52 degrees south latitude, including all of Africa, South America, Australia, New Zealand, most of Europe and Asia, and the continental U.S. Experts say people shouldn't be 'too worried,' but that they cannot exclude the chance of the spacecraft actually hitting someone or something. "There's a not-trivial chance that it could hit somewhere where it damages property, and there's a small chance — but it's like one in thousands — that it could hurt someone,' Dr. Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Center for Astrophysics at Harvard & Smithsonian, told NPR. A more accurate location and timeline should be known over the coming days, but NASA said the uncertainty 'will be fairly significant right up to reentry.' For now, here's what to know. The Soviet Union launched the spacecraft known as Kosmos 482 as part of a series of Venus missions. Following a rocket malfunction, it never made it out of Earth orbit Now, it's expected to fall back to Earth (NASA) It can take the heat 'Because the probe was designed to withstand entry into the Venus atmosphere, it's possible the probe (or parts of it) will survive reentry at Earth and reach the surface,' the space agency warned. Although Venus isn't the closest planet to the sun, it is the hottest. The average surface temperature of the planet is a blistering 870 degrees Fahrenheit. Comparatively, when the future Orion spacecraft comes back from the moon, it will experience temperatures around 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit as it screams back into Earth's atmosphere at 25,000 miles per hour. The extreme temperatures are why most falling debris burn up upon re-entry. It was once larger Hundreds of objects enter Earth's atmosphere every year. At least three old satellites or rocket bodies come down every day. Most objects that don't burn up and disintegrate fall into the ocean, which covers 70 percent of Earth's surface. It is rare for this debris to cause damage, but it does happen. With an increasing number of satellites in low-Earth orbit, the situation has become more precarious. Over time, the atmospheric drag slowly lowers the orbit of space debris like Kosmos 482. The Venus probe failed to escape low-Earth orbit after its launch in 1972. Instead, the spherical, 1,000-pound object broke into four pieces after its rocket malfunctioned. Two of them decayed, and the lander probe — which has a parachute that may be visible right now — and another piece went higher. Although Kosmos 482 never made it to Venus, its sister probe Venera 7 did. Since then dozens of others have launched to explore the second planet from the sun (NASA/JPL-Caltech) 'It is thought that a malfunction resulted in an engine burn which did not achieve sufficient velocity for the Venus transfer, and left the payload in this elliptical Earth orbit,' NASA said. Scientists are still working to study Venus The 1972 launch came toward the end of the space race. The Soviet Union had been launching Kosmos spacecraft ten years before Kosmos 482. Kosmos 482 was a sister probe to the successful Venera . Since then, dozens of other missions have been launched to explore Venus. Several NASA missions are slated for the next few years, including DAVINCI, VERITAS, and EnVision. VERITAS and DAVINCI will be the first NASA spacecraft to explore Venus since the 1990s.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
06-05-2025
- Science
- First Post
Soviet-era spacecraft likely to crash back to Earth this week: Should you be worried?
A Soviet-era spacecraft launched in the 1970s, originally intended to land on Venus, is now expected to crash back to Earth. Nasa said that the Kosmos 482 spacecraft could reenter Earth's atmosphere between May 7 and May 13. Built to withstand Venus' extreme conditions, parts of the spacecraft may survive reentry without burning up. Notably, Kosmos 482 was one of a series of Venus missions launched by the Soviet Union in 1972 read more The spacecraft could land anywhere between 51.7 degrees north and south latitude. Image: AI-Generated/News18 A Soviet-era spacecraft launched in the 1970s, which was originally meant to land on Venus, is now expected to crash back to Earth sometime this month. The Russian spacecraft, Kosmos 482, was launched nearly 53 years ago. It never reached its destination. ALSO READ | What is Axiom-4 Mission that India's Sudhanshu Shukla will pilot to space? Recent satellite data shows that its parachutes may already have been deployed as the spacecraft continues to tumble in low Earth orbit. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Should you be concerned? We explain when the spacecraft might crash, what the impact could be, and some details about the Kosmos 482 mission. When is the crash expected? Which regions could be affected? Nasa has said that Kosmos 482 is expected to reenter Earth's atmosphere sometime between May 7 and May 13. The space agency said that the probe was built to survive Venus' harsh atmosphere, so parts of it may make it through reentry without burning up. Dutch scientist Marco Langbroek believes that the spacecraft could fall around May 10. If the main section stays intact, he says it may hit the ground at a speed of about 150 mph (242 kph). Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Center for Astrophysics at Harvard & Smithsonian, told NPR that the probe is now in its 'final death plunge.' 'There's a not-trivial chance that it could hit somewhere where it damages property, and there's a small chance − but it's like one in thousands − that it could hurt someone,' he said. It is still uncertain which part of the spacecraft will fall back to Earth, but researchers believe it may be the 'entry capsule' - the section built to withstand the intense heat and pressure of Venus' atmosphere, which is 90 times denser than Earth's, according to CNN. The spacecraft could land anywhere between 51.7 degrees north and south latitude. That includes areas as far north as London and Edmonton in Canada, down to Cape Horn at the southern tip of South America. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Still, the exact point of impact would not be known until just before it happens. Since most of Earth's surface is water, 'chances are good it will indeed end up in some ocean,' Langbroek told Associated Press. ALSO READ | Space junk: Why Nasa is offering $3 million to recycle astronaut waste in space Should you be worried? 'While not without risk, we should not be too worried,' Langbroek said. The spacecraft is quite small and, even if it stays in one piece, 'the risk is similar to that of a random meteorite fall, several of which happen each year. You run a bigger risk of getting hit by lightning in your lifetime,' he said. He added that the chance of the spacecraft actually striking someone or something is low. 'But it cannot be completely excluded.' The Russian spacecraft, Kosmos 482, was launched nearly 53 years ago. Image: Nasa Jonathan McDowell told NPR, 'There's a not trivial chance that it could hit somewhere where it damages property. And there's a small chance – but it's like one in thousands – that it could hurt somebody.' The Aerospace Corporation, a research group supported by the US government, has estimated the odds of the spacecraft causing serious harm to be about 1 in 25,000, according to space debris expert Marlon Sorge. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD What should people do if Kosmos 482 hits dry land? Sorge told CNN that if Kosmos 482 ends up hitting dry land, people should stay away from any debris. The old spacecraft may still contain harmful fuel or other hazards that could be unsafe for both people and property. 'Contact the authorities,' Sorge said. 'Please don't mess with it.' Parker Wishik, a spokesperson for the Aerospace Corporation, told CNN that under the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which still acts as the key agreement on space law, Russia would still own any parts of the spacecraft that survive. The country might try to retrieve the wreckage after it lands. Wishik further said that while space agencies have worked to reduce the number of uncontrolled reentries in recent years, Kosmos 482 shows why such efforts need to continue. ALSO READ | What does a typical day on International Space Station look like? The mission to Venus Starting in 1962, the Soviet Union used the name Cosmos (or Kosmos) for spacecraft that stayed in Earth orbit, even if they were meant to go further. Kosmos 482 was one of a series of Venus missions launched by the Soviet Union in 1972. The probe was built to survive Venus' harsh atmosphere. Image: Nasa After reaching parking orbit around Earth, the spacecraft tried to head towards Venus. But due to a rocket failure, it never left Earth orbit. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The spacecraft broke into four parts, two of them fell back and burned up within 48 hours. The other two stayed in orbit. Most of the debris returned to Earth within about ten years. However, experts, including Langbroek, believe that the landing capsule, a round object about 3 feet (1 metre) wide, has remained in a long, looping orbit for the past 53 years, slowly losing height over time. With inputs from agencies
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Soviet spacecraft Cosmos 482 expected to crash back to Earth after 'final death plunge'
A Soviet-era spacecraft is set to reenter Earth's atmosphere after over 50 years, returning this week from its failed mission to Venus . NASA said Monday that Cosmos 482 will return to Earth sometime between Wednesday, May 7, and May 13. The spacecraft is most likely to begin its decent on Saturday, May 10, though. The space agency said that since the probe was designed to withstand entry into Venus' atmosphere, it is possible that parts of it will survive reentry. The spacecraft was meant to be a Venus probe. But it failed to escape low Earth orbit following its launch in 1972, according to NASA. Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Center for Astrophysics at Harvard & Smithsonian, told NPR that the probe is in its "final death plunge." "There's a not-trivial chance that it could hit somewhere where it damages property, and there's a small chance − but it's like one in thousands − that it could hurt someone," he said. The name Cosmos (or Kosmos) was given to Soviet spacecraft that remained in Earth's orbit beginning in 1962, regardless of whether that was their intended final destination − according to NASA. The space agency points to evidence from Soviet and non-Soviet sources and historical documents to substantiate its belief that Cosmos 482 was intended to reach Venus. The probe was launched four days after the Venera 8 atmospheric probe that made it to Venus and had an identical design, NASA said. Soviet planetary missions were initially put into Earth's orbit as a launch platform with a rocket engine and attached probe, according to NASA. The probes were then launched toward their targets with an engine burn with a duration of roughly four minutes. Cosmos 482 separated into four pieces, with two pieces decaying in low Earth orbit within 48 hours and the remaining pieces remaining in higher orbit. It is thought that a malfunction during the engine burn left the craft unable to reach the velocity needed to escape orbit and reach Venus, according to NASA. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cosmos 482: Soviet spacecraft to return to Earth after over 50 years
