The failed Soviet spacecraft Kosmos 482 could crash to Earth overnight tonight after more than 50 years in the wrong orbit. Here are the latest predictions on the exact time of reentry, and where it could land.
They have bets on where it hits (I see some wishes)
As the number of new satellites in Earth's orbit increases every year, it will become more important than ever for missions to have "controlled end-of-life plans for large objects" and for space agencies to invest in debris removal technology, Woods added.
Editor’s note: Kosmos 482 was last spotted by radar over Germany between 11:30p.m. to 6:04a.m. EDT, according to The European Space Agency. Radars could not detect the craft at a subsequent pass at 2:32 a.m. EDT, so "it is most likely that the reentry has already occurred."
Later that day, the Russian space agency Roscosmos confirmed that the lander had harmlessly impacted the Indian Ocean at 6:24 a.m. UTC west of Jakarta, Indonesia. The condition of the craft is unknown.