Overview

• Kosmos 482, launched in 1972 as part of the Soviet Venera program, failed to reach Venus and has remained in Earth orbit for 53 years.
• The spacecraft’s descent module, designed to endure Venus’s extreme conditions, is expected to survive reentry partially intact.
• Reentry is projected to occur between May 8 and 11, 2025, with tracking organizations refining predictions as the date nears.
• Debris could fall anywhere between 52°N and 52°S latitude, covering most populated regions, though the likelihood of impact in inhabited areas remains low.
• In 1972, fragments of the spacecraft reentered and landed in New Zealand, causing minor crop damage but no injuries.