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Scientific American
12-05-2025
- Science
- Scientific American
Sinking Cities, Waving Cuttlefish and Falling Spacecraft
Rachel Feltman: Happy Monday, listeners! For Scientific American 's Science Quickly, I'm Rachel Feltman. Let's catch up on some of the science news you may have missed last week. First, a space-junk update. By the time you listen to this a Soviet-era spacecraft may or may not have crash-landed on Earth. Kosmos-482, which the U.S.S.R. launched back in 1972, was meant to follow the successful probes Venera 7 and Venera 8 in landing on and studying Venus. But a suspected engine malfunction meant that Kosmos-482 never achieved enough velocity to escape Earth's orbit. It's been orbiting our planet ever since and losing altitude along the way. Some of Kosmos-482 already fell back down to Earth decades ago, but one last big chunk has held on for more than half a century. Last week researchers said Kosmos-482 would probably make its uncontrolled descent over the weekend. Its potential landing zone stretched from 52 degrees north to 52 degrees south latitude, which covers pretty much everywhere except for Antarctica and, like, places where you can see the northern lights. There's a chance that the 1,000-ish pound [495 kg] lander, which was designed to withstand Venus's atmosphere, will hit Earth in one piece. That could be bad if it happens to crash in a populated area, but it's statistically more likely to hit the ocean or some uninhabited patch of land. And there's still a chance the craft will break up into smaller pieces in the friction of our atmosphere or even burn up entirely. We'll update you on how everything went down next week, or you can check for the latest space news. On supporting science journalism If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. Now, the sky may not be falling, but our biggest cities are sinking. A study published last Thursday in the journal Nature Cities found that all of the 28 most populated cities in the U.S. are sinking, regardless of how far inland they are. In 25 of those cities, the researchers say, at least two-thirds of their respective area is losing height. The researchers called out Houston as the fastest-sinking city, with more than a third of its area going down by upwards of five millimeters [about 0.2 inches] each year. Around 12 percent of the city is sinking twice as fast as that, and some spots are dropping by five whole centimeters [roughly two inches] a year. While natural forces and the sheer heft of buildings can play a role, according to the researchers behind the study, the extraction of groundwater is largely responsible for all of this sinkage. The researchers tied the removal of groundwater for human use to as much as 80 percent of the sinking they observed. They noted that in Texas, gas and oil extraction likely exacerbates this problem. One obvious consequence of a city sinking is that it makes the area more prone to flooding. But the study also sounds the alarm on the unique risks brought on by uneven sink rates within a city. If some areas are sinking faster than others, that raises the likelihood that structures like building foundations and rail lines will start to tilt. The researchers noted in a press release that increases in water needs and population, along with climate-change-induced droughts, are expected to add to the problem, making it crucial that cities start adapting to these risks now. If you're looking for someone to blame for that—for the climate-change-related part, anyway—consider your millionaire or billionaire of choice: A study published last Wednesday in Nature Climate Change concluded that the wealthiest 10 percent of the global population is responsible for two-thirds of climate-change-related warming as a result of their consumption and investments. The top 1 percent of people are responsible for one-fifth of all warming all on their own. If you're in the top 10 percent, you're an estimated six times more responsible for droughts in the Amazon than the average person is. According to a recent article in Forbes, a net worth of at least $970,000 puts you in that percentile in the United States, while one-percenters have net worths of at least $11.6 million. If you're looking at your own robust bank account and feeling a little hot under the collar about this study. It does point out a major area for improvement: investments. The authors concluded that the richest among us primarily contribute to climate change through investments tied to high-carbon industries. So if you haven't cleaned up your stock portfolio, now's a great time to do so. As long as you're not, say, flying a private jet everywhere—or worse, taking jaunts into space for fun—then that should make a big difference. And hey if you are doing those things, girl stop. We'll wrap up with a fun story that takes us under the sea. In an unpublished study recently posted to the preprint server bioRxiv, scientists claim that cuttlefish wave to one another to communicate. The researchers observed four distinct arm waves: 'up,' 'side,' 'crown' and 'roll.' These movements are a bit more complicated than our one- or two-armed human gestures. In the 'roll' move the cuttlefish tucks all its arms beneath its head as if it's about to try to somersault forward. The 'side' signal has it move its arms to one side of its body. The 'crown' looks a bit like someone steepling their fingers—if their fingers were several squishy tentacles. The 'up' sign is complicated, with some arms extended up and others twisting in front of the cuttlefish. The scientists observed cuttlefish trading these signals back and forth and occasionally responding to one signal with a different one. That makes them suspect these moves are a form of communication. What's even wilder is that when the scientists recorded cuttlefish signing with an underwater microphone and played the same vibrations for another cuttlefish, that second individual would start signing. So the creatures could be sensing the vibrations of this sign language, in addition to seeing visual cues. Researchers will have to directly connect these signals with certain behaviors or actions to prove that this is actually communication, but for now it is pretty cute. That's all for this week's news roundup. Before I let you go I just wanted to plug our ongoing listener survey real quick. We're looking to learn more about you—yes, you—so we can keep making this show better and better. You can find the survey at It should only take you a couple of minutes, and folks who submit their answers this month will be entered to win some Scientific American swag. More importantly, you'll really be helping out me and the rest of the Science Quickly team. So make sure to check out whenever you get the chance. Science Quickly is produced by me, Rachel Feltman, along with Fonda Mwangi, Kelso Harper, Naeem Amarsy and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura. Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck fact-check our show. Our theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Subscribe to Scientific American for more up-to-date and in-depth science news.
Business Mayor
10-05-2025
- Science
- Business Mayor
Soviet-era spacecraft set to crash into Earth today 53 years after being launched
A failed Soviet spacecraft launched more than half a century ago is expected to plummet back to Earth early on Saturday, just one day after Vladimir Putin's Victory Day parade in Moscow. The reentry window for the Cosmos 482 Venus lander opens at 6am UTC (7am UK time), with a three-hour margin of error. According to NASA, potential impact zones include 'the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans,' but the decaying spacecraft could also come down over 'parts of North and South America, Europe, Asia, or Australia'. What happens next remains unclear, because unlike typical space junk, Cosmos 482 was designed to survive far worse than Earth's atmosphere. A NASA spokesman warned: '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.' The spacecraft was part of the Soviet Union's ambitious interplanetary programme in the early 1970s. Launched on March 31, 1972—just four days after its nearly identical sister mission Venera 8—the aim was to deliver a robotic lander to the surface of Venus. While Venera 8 successfully reached its target and transmitted 50 minutes of data from the planet's surface, Cosmos 482 never got that far. After a successful launch into a temporary Earth parking orbit, the onboard propulsion system was meant to fire and hurl the craft towards Venus. Instead, a malfunction left the probe trapped in a highly elliptical orbit ranging from 210km to 9,800km above Earth's surface. The NASA spokesman explained: 'It separated into four pieces, two of which remained in low Earth orbit and decayed within 48 hours, and two pieces (presumably the lander probe and detached upper stage engine unit) went into a higher 210 x 9800 km orbit.' Those smaller components reentered Earth's atmosphere and burned up almost immediately. But the lander—heavily shielded against the crushing pressure and searing heat of Venus—has remained in orbit ever since, slowly descending. The probe itself weighs nearly 500kg and is shaped like a heavy, armoured sphere. The casing was built to withstand temperatures over 450°C and pressures more than 90 times greater than Earth's atmosphere. It was designed to endure impact, deploy a 2.5-square-metre parachute, and transmit scientific data from the surface of Venus. According to the NASA spokesman the lander probe 'was an insulated spherical pressure vessel of similar design to the Venera 7 probe. It had a top shell that would be jettisoned on atmospheric entry to deploy the 2.5 square meter parachute and expose the antenna and instruments.' Whether the parachute or instrument shell would survive Earth reentry is highly doubtful—but the titanium casing could plausibly reach the ground intact. Experts say tracking the probe's final descent will be difficult until the last moments. The NASA spokesman said: 'The uncertainty will be fairly significant right up to reentry,' underscoring the difficulty in modelling an object of this shape and mass at this altitude. Cosmos 482 was given its name because of Soviet policy at the time: any planetary mission that failed to leave Earth orbit was instead designated as a 'Cosmos' satellite. Despite its intended target, official Soviet records never acknowledged that it was a Venus mission. The craft was part of a long line of Venus probes launched during the Cold War space race. While many failed, the Soviets ultimately became the only country to land functioning instruments on the surface of Earth's closest planetary neighbour. A post on X by the UK Space Agency said the National Space Operations Centre will be monitoring the re-entry in the UK. The EU Space Surveillance and Tracking (EU SST) Operations Centres said it was 'actively monitoring the uncontrolled re-entry into Earth's atmosphere of the Cosmos-482 Descent Craft, a Soviet-era spacecraft launched in 1972 and intended to land on Venus. 'The EU SST network of contributing sensors is closely following the object to refine the re-entry window, which is currently estimated to be on 10 May, with an uncertainty of ±4 hours.' Now, more than five decades later, one of those relics is finally on its way back—raising the remote but real possibility that a piece of 1970s Soviet hardware could crash-land on Earth in 2025. READ SOURCE
Ammon
10-05-2025
- Science
- Ammon
Part of Soviet-era spacecraft to crash to Earth this weekend
Ammon News - Part of a Soviet spacecraft is expected to crash back down to Earth this weekend, with experts still unsure of where it will land. Kosmos 482 was launched in March 1972 on a Soyuz rocket a few days after the Venera 8 atmospheric probe, and was thought to have a similar purpose. Intended to reach Venus, it failed to escape low Earth orbit and instead broke into four pieces. Now, Kosmos 482's lander probe is expected to come down to Earth with a bump. Marek Ziebart, professor of space geodesy at University College London, said the situation was unusual, noting de-orbited satellites tended to burn up in the planet's atmosphere owing to drag. However, that is unlikely to be the case for Kosmos 482 – a spacecraft that was designed to withstand Venus's extreme conditions, such as its acidic atmosphere and extreme heat. 'Anything we try to send Venus has to be armour plated,' said Ziebart. As a result, the lander probe is expected to be robust enough to pass through the Earth's atmosphere. 'Because this thing is basically 500kg, and it's only about a metre across, then it will probably survive,' he added. It is not the first part of Kosmos 482 to do so: some components landed in New Zealand soon after the launch. According to Nasa, the lander probe contained a heat shield and a parachute to help it land. However, experts said these may have been compromised over time. While the altitude of Kosmos 482 has gradually decreased, quite when it will crash to Earth remains unclear. Nasa said it was expected to re-enter Earth's atmosphere some time from 9 to 10 May. The location of where it will crash remains a mystery. At present, Nasa said it thought the landing probe could end up anywhere between the latitudes of 52 degrees north and 52 degrees south – a broad band that includes parts of Europe, the UK and the Americas as well as Africa and Australia, among other countries and regions. 'It's not going to end up de-orbiting at the poles,' said Ziebart. While Nasa said the time and location at which it would re-enter Earth's atmosphere should be known more accurately over the next day or so, uncertainty would be significant right up to re-entry. 'Because this is uncontrolled, that is the important thing here, we can't do anything to influence where it comes down, but we can track it with telescopes and with radar,' said Ziebart, although he noted that depended on the area in question having sufficient radar coverage. He added that with the lander probe not only heavy but likely to be travelling at speed, 'it would have some destructive capability'.
The Herald Scotland
10-05-2025
- Science
- The Herald Scotland
Tracking Cosmos 482's reentry: What time will it return to Earth?
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. When will Cosmos 482 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. Where will Cosmos 482 land? 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. Will you be able to see Cosmos 482's reentry? 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. Is Cosmos 482 a danger risk? 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. What happened to Cosmos 482? 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 gcross@
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Tracking Cosmos 482: When will the Soviet-era spacecraft crash to Earth?
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 gcross@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Soviet-era spacecraft dropping out of orbit to crash land on Earth
