Overview

• Kosmos-482, launched in 1972 as part of the Soviet Venera program, failed to leave Earth's orbit and has been decaying for over five decades.
• The probe, designed to withstand Venus's harsh conditions, is likely to survive reentry largely intact, potentially impacting Earth at up to 250 km/h.
• The reentry window has narrowed to May 10, 2025, with tracking agencies estimating a late morning UTC descent but no precise impact location.
• Experts assess the risk to populated areas as extremely low, with the probe expected to fall in oceans or uninhabited regions within the 52°N–52°S latitude band.
• Any surviving fragments of the probe will remain under Russian ownership, as stipulated by the Outer Space Treaty.