A fragment of the Soviet spacecraft Kosmos 482, launched in 1972, is expected to crash back to Earth between 9 and 10 May, according to space agencies monitoring its re-entry.
The spacecraft, originally sent on a mission to Venus, failed to escape low Earth orbit and broke into four pieces. One of those fragments—believed to be the lander capsule—is predicted to re-enter the atmosphere around 09:16 BST on 10 May, though timing could vary by several hours.
The European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA have confirmed that while much of the object will likely burn up, a part of it could survive due to its durable, heat-resistant design built to withstand Venus's harsh environment. The capsule, about a metre wide and weighing nearly half a tonne, could land anywhere between 51.7° north and south latitude—a zone that includes most of the inhabited world, from London in the north to the southern tip of South America.
Despite this, experts emphasize the risk to people is extremely low. "It's much more likely that you win the lottery than that you get impacted by this piece of space debris," said Stijn Lemmens, Senior Space Debris Mitigation Analyst at ESA.
Originally fitted with a parachute system to aid its descent on Venus, the lander's equipment is expected to have long since degraded after over 50 years in orbit.
A fragment of the Soviet spacecraft Kosmos 482, launched in 1972, is expected to crash back to Earth between 9 and 10 May, according to space agencies monitoring its re-entry.
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Explosions were heard in Rawalpindi and Islamabad around 2:30 a.m. local time as a ballistic missile attack targeting Nur Khan Airbase was intercepted, according to Pakistani security sources.
The Pakistan military has alleged that India fired six ballistic missiles that fell within its own borders.
A fragment of the Soviet spacecraft Kosmos 482, launched in 1972, is expected to crash back to Earth between 9 and 10 May, according to space agencies monitoring its re-entry.
FIFA has approved a major expansion of the Women’s World Cup, increasing the number of participating teams to 48 starting from the 2031 edition.
Mexico is suing Google for disregarding repeated requests to stop referring to the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America" for U.S. users on Google Maps.
Explosions were heard in Rawalpindi and Islamabad around 2:30 a.m. local time as a ballistic missile attack targeting Nur Khan Airbase was intercepted, according to Pakistani security sources.
The Pakistan military has alleged that India fired six ballistic missiles that fell within its own borders.
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FIFA has approved a major expansion of the Women’s World Cup, increasing the number of participating teams to 48 starting from the 2031 edition.
Mexico is suing Google for disregarding repeated requests to stop referring to the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America" for U.S. users on Google Maps.
Explosions were heard in Rawalpindi and Islamabad around 2:30 a.m. local time as a ballistic missile attack targeting Nur Khan Airbase was intercepted, according to Pakistani security sources.
The Pakistan military has alleged that India fired six ballistic missiles that fell within its own borders.
A fragment of the Soviet spacecraft Kosmos 482, launched in 1972, is expected to crash back to Earth between 9 and 10 May, according to space agencies monitoring its re-entry.
FIFA has approved a major expansion of the Women’s World Cup, increasing the number of participating teams to 48 starting from the 2031 edition.
Mexico is suing Google for disregarding repeated requests to stop referring to the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America" for U.S. users on Google Maps.
Explosions were heard in Rawalpindi and Islamabad around 2:30 a.m. local time as a ballistic missile attack targeting Nur Khan Airbase was intercepted, according to Pakistani security sources.
The Pakistan military has alleged that India fired six ballistic missiles that fell within its own borders.
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