A 53 -year -old Soviet spacecraft that was designed to land on the planet Venus is going to fall uncontrollably on Earth at the end of the next week. The name of this vehicle is Kosmos 482 (Kosmos 482). It was part of the Venra program of the Soviet Union. Scientists estimate that this vehicle will enter the Earth’s atmosphere around 10 May 2025, but where it falls, there is no accurate estimate of it.
Cosmos 482: Venus made for Venus
Kosmos 482 was launched by the Soviet Union in 1972. This vehicle was built under the Venra program, which aims to collect data from the surface of the planet Venus. This vehicle was an associate vehicle of Venra 8, who landed on the surface of Venus in July 1972 and sent data for 50 minutes.
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The atmosphere of Venus is very hot and toxic. The lander part of Cosmos 482 was designed to withstand this difficult situation. However, Cosmos 482 could not reach its destination. The upper part of the soyuz rocket carrying it into space caused a malfunction, due to which the vehicle did not get the necessary speed to reach Venus. This vehicle got stuck in an oval orbit of the Earth.
Return to earth after 50 years
After the launch, Cosmos 482 split into two parts: the main body and the lander. The main body was destroyed by entering the Earth’s atmosphere in 1981, but the lander part has been circling the Earth’s orbit for the last 50 years. Now, Marco Langbrock, lecturer at Space Status Awareness at the Delft Technical University of the Netherlands, has revealed on the basis of telescope analysis that this lander will soon return to Earth.
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According to Langbrock, it weighing 495 kg and 1 meter wide lander will enter the Earth’s atmosphere around 10 May 2025. This estimate is with a few days uncertainty. The most important thing is that this lander was designed to withstand the rigid environment of Venus, so it can remain broken even during the Earth’s entry into the Earth’s atmosphere. Possibly may fall on the surface.
Where will Cosmos 482 fall?
Langbroke reported that the Cosmos 482 grade is 52 degrees, which means that it can fall anywhere between 52 degrees northern latitude 52 degrees southern latitudes. It includes areas such as Southern and Middle-Aheads Europe, Asia, America, Africa and Australia.
However, most likely it is that it would fall into an ocean as it happened in 2011 with Russia’s unsuccessful Phobos-grunt mission. Langbroke compared it to a meteorite, as this lander can hit the Earth’s surface at a speed of about 242 km/h.
Risk and scientific approach
Cosmos 482 uncontrolled re -entry raises many questions. This lander that was designed for the surface of Venus can remain intact instead of completely burning during the Earth’s atmosphere. If it falls on the surface, it can pose a threat to property or people. Although 70% of the Earth is covered with oceans, it is more likely to fall into the sea. Space scientists and satellite trackers are constantly monitoring the speed of this vehicle, so that its re -entry time and possible impact can be accurately estimated to be estimated.
Historical significance of the venara program
The Venra program was an important achievement in the Space Exploration of the Soviet Union. Under this program many vehicles were sent to the planet Venus, including Venra 7 and Venra 8 sent significant data from the planet’s surface. Kosmos 482 was part of the program, but technical fault failed it. Nevertheless, this vehicle symbolizes engineering and technical abilities of the time.