Cosmos 482, a Soviet spacecraft launched in March 1972 to explore Venus, finally returned to Earth after spending more than 50 years in space. It came back through Earth’s atmosphere early on Saturday, May 10, 2025.
Where Did Cosmos 482 Crash?
The spacecraft entered the Earth’s atmosphere around 2:24 a.m. ET (9:24 a.m. in Moscow). It landed safely in the Indian Ocean, just west of Jakarta, Indonesia, according to Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos.
Europe Was Watching the Reentry
The European Space Agency (ESA) was closely watching the fall of Cosmos 482. Radar detected the spacecraft over Germany between 12:30 a.m. and 2:04 a.m. ET. However, no one has reported seeing it fall directly, and there are no reports of it hitting the ground.
Was It Dangerous to Earth?
Scientists said Cosmos 482 was not a threat. The spacecraft was only about 3 feet wide and weighed around 1,190 pounds. Because of its small size, it was not expected to cause any damage when it returned to Earth.
Astronomer Captures Rare Moment
Gianluca Masi, an astronomer with the Virtual Telescope Project, captured a photo of Cosmos 482 as it passed over Rome just before reentry. He described it as a trail of light moving across the sky, coming into view from the top and exiting at the bottom right.
The Story Behind Cosmos 482
Cosmos 482, also known as Kosmos 482, was one of two twin spacecraft built to explore Venus. The other one, Venera 8, succeeded and collected valuable information about Venus’s surface before stopping.
Why Did Cosmos 482 Fail?
NASA explains that Cosmos 482 did not reach the speed needed to escape Earth’s gravity due to a launch failure. It broke into four pieces. Two fell back within 48 hours, while the other two stayed in orbit for decades.
Mission Ends Without Trouble
Even though Cosmos 482 failed its mission, its return to Earth ended without any problem. It stayed in space for over 50 years, reminding us of the early days of space exploration and the many risks involved.
