Overview

• Kosmos 482, a Soviet spacecraft launched in 1972 for a Venus mission, failed its transfer burn and has remained in Earth's orbit for over five decades.
• NASA and space trackers predict the spacecraft will reenter Earth's atmosphere uncontrollably between May 8 and 12, with May 10 being the most likely date.
• The reentry zone spans latitudes 52° north to 52° south, covering a broad area that includes much of the world's population, though an ocean landing is more probable.
• Built to endure Venus's extreme conditions, parts of the spacecraft may survive reentry, posing a low but non-zero risk to life and property on Earth.
• This event highlights the growing issue of space debris, with over 1.2 million tracked objects in orbit and more than three uncontrolled reentries occurring daily.