10 May 2025 — A Soviet spacecraft launched in 1972 has re-entered Earth’s atmosphere and fallen into the Indian Ocean, the Russian space agency Roscosmos has confirmed.
The object, designated Kosmos-482, was originally intended for a mission to Venus but failed to leave Earth’s orbit more than half a century ago.
According to Roscosmos, the spacecraft entered the dense layers of the atmosphere at 09:24 Moscow time on Saturday, approximately 560 kilometres west of Middle Andaman Island. It subsequently impacted the ocean to the west of Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia.
“The spacecraft Kosmos-482 has ceased to exist, having deorbited and fallen into the Indian Ocean,” the agency stated in a brief announcement.
Originally launched by the Soviet Union as part of its planetary exploration programme, Kosmos-482 was built to study Venus. However, due to a malfunction in the upper stage of its launch vehicle, the probe never left Earth orbit and instead remained on a highly elliptical trajectory for decades. Gradually, it descended, with international observers tracking its re-entry amid concerns over its potential impact.
Risk of Impact Highlighted Ahead of Re-Entry
In recent weeks, Kosmos-482 attracted renewed attention after media reports warned that the 500-kilogram object — travelling at several hundred kilometres per hour — could pose a hazard to populated areas. Analysts had forecast its re-entry on 9 or 10 May, triggering precautionary monitoring by space agencies and independent observers.
Though it ultimately came down over open water, the uncertainty surrounding its final descent reignited long-standing concerns about uncontrolled satellite re-entries, particularly those involving older spacecraft launched during the Cold War era.
Background: A Mission That Never Reached Venus
Kosmos-482 was launched in March 1972 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in the then-Soviet Union. It was part of the broader Venera programme, which aimed to explore Earth’s neighbouring planet, focusing on atmospheric composition, surface conditions, and other scientific objectives. Its sister spacecraft, Venera 8, launched successfully days earlier and completed its mission by landing on Venus in July of the same year.
However, a critical failure in Kosmos-482’s upper-stage booster prevented it from entering the required interplanetary trajectory. Instead, it became stranded in Earth’s orbit, eventually classified under the standard Soviet designation “Kosmos” to conceal mission details. Despite being abandoned, the object remained intact in orbit for over five decades.
Decades in Orbit
Throughout its time in space, Kosmos-482 became a case study in orbital decay. Space surveillance networks tracked its position and declining altitude, and it was occasionally referenced in discussions about legacy space debris. Over time, most of the spacecraft’s components gradually separated or degraded, but its main descent module — designed to survive re-entry — remained structurally resilient.
Though constructed before the widespread use of onboard nuclear power sources in Soviet probes, the spacecraft’s descent raised concerns in some quarters about material composition, particularly regarding high-density heat-resistant components that could survive impact.
Broader Implications
Kosmos-482’s return to Earth comes amid increasing scrutiny over space debris and re-entry risk management. As more satellites — including commercial, military, and scientific missions — are launched into low and medium Earth orbit, international agencies are under pressure to improve coordination and establish clearer protocols for end-of-life deorbiting.
In recent years, uncontrolled re-entries — including China’s Long March rocket stages — have reignited global calls for a binding framework under international space law to regulate decommissioning procedures.
The fall of Kosmos-482 serves as a reminder of the enduring legacy of Cold War-era space activity, and the long-term challenges posed by obsolete or abandoned spacecraft.
No damage or injuries have been reported following the object’s oceanic impact. Russian officials said no further debris was expected to pose any threat.
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