Overview

• Kosmos 482, a Soviet-era Venus lander launched in 1972, is making an uncontrolled reentry into Earth's atmosphere after 53 years in orbit.
• Experts predict the reentry window to occur between 4:05 AM and 12:47 PM Italian time on May 10, with the Bay of Bengal as a likely crash site.
• The spacecraft's robust titanium structure, designed for Venusian conditions, is expected to survive reentry largely intact, though its parachute is no longer functional.
• Two potential overflights above Italy—across Sardinia and Sicily, and over central Italy—have been identified before the reentry occurs.
• Despite its intact descent, the risk of injury or damage is extremely low, with individual strike odds at 1 in 100 billion, far lower than the likelihood of a lightning strike.