Failed Soviet Probe Plunges Back to Earth After 53 Years Stuck in Orbit
Failed Soviet Probe Plunges Back to Earth After 53 Years Stuck in Orbit
A spacecraft that got stuck in Earth orbit after a failed attempt to travel to Venus more than 50 years ago has finally returned to Earth.
Because Kosmos 482 was built to withstand conditions on Venus – scorching temperatures averaging 464 °C (867 °F), acid rain, and crushing atmospheric pressure – scientists had hypothesized that the 495-kilogram (1,091-pound) lander might at least partially survive atmospheric entry.
However, according to Russia's government space agency, the spacecraft probably fell into the ocean. Which would be unsurprising, given that some 71 percent of Earth's surface is covered by water.
"The Kosmos-482 spacecraft, launched in 1972, ceased to exist, deorbiting and falling into the Indian Ocean," Roscosmos wrote in a Telegram post on May 10.
"According to calculations by specialists from TsNIIMash (part of Roscosmos), the spacecraft entered the dense layers of the atmosphere at 09:24 Moscow time [06:24 UTC], 560 kilometers west of Middle Andaman Island, and fell into the Indian Ocean west of Jakarta."
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Still seems like a success compared to the space junk we have trying to fly out these days.