Overview

• Kosmos-482, launched in 1972 as part of the USSR's Venera program, failed to leave Earth's orbit due to a rocket malfunction and has been in a decaying orbit since.
• The spacecraft's titanium heat shield, built to withstand Venus's extreme conditions, makes it likely to survive reentry intact and impact the Earth's surface.
• Experts predict reentry between late May 9 and early May 10, with a wide uncertainty of ±4–9 hours and a potential impact zone spanning 52°N to 52°S latitude.
• The probability of harm to humans is extremely low, with most of Earth's surface covered by water or sparsely populated areas.
• Under international law, any debris that survives reentry will legally belong to Russia, the successor state to the Soviet Union.