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Kosmos 482 crashed into Earth on May 10, confirmed Roscosmos.
The spacecraft reentered at 2:24 am ET, falling into the Indian Ocean.
Launched in 1972, it malfunctioned and remained in orbit for 53 years.
After days of speculation, Soviet-era spacecraft Kosmos 482 crashed into Earth on Saturday (May 10), Russia’s space agency Roscosmos confirmed. The uncontrolled reentry occurred at 2:24 am ET (0624 GMT or 9:24 am Moscow time), 560 km west of Middle Andaman Island in the Indian Ocean.
The 53-year-old Cold War-era Soviet spaceship, initially bound for Venus, fell harmlessly into the sea after some reports claimed that it might fall on land.
“The Kosmos-482 spacecraft, launched in 1972, ceased to exist, deorbiting and falling into the Indian Ocean. The descent of the spacecraft was monitored by the Automated Warning System for Hazardous Situations in Near-Earth Space,” Roscosmos said in a Telegram update.
As per The Guardian, the European Space Agency’s (ESA) space debris office also confirmed that Kosmos 482 had re-entered the atmosphere after it failed to appear over a German radar station.
Launched in 1972, Kosmos 482, weighing just under 500 kg, malfunctioned on its way to Venus. An issue with a timer resulted in an early engine shutdown, trapping the Soviet spacecraft in Earth’s orbit for over half a century.
Was lucky enough to see the #kosmos482 fly over Central Victoria, Australia 🛰️ pic.twitter.com/YvT8Ea7ftl
— kaz (@TheMoores18) May 10, 2025
Also Read | Lone Soviet Satellite Plunging Towards Earth May Crash Like A Meteorite
Since the probe was designed to withstand acceleration, high pressures, and extreme heat on Venus, scientists predicted that there was a small chance that it might survive the reentry when most space objects disintegrate upon entering the Earth’s atmosphere.
After it was announced that the satellite would crash, researchers predicted that it would make the plunge any time between May 9 and 13. Later, NASA and the ESA zeroed in on May 10 as the most likely date.
Scientists estimated that based on the trajectory, it would fall within 52 degrees north or south of the equator, which covers most of the land and sea area.
