A 53-year-old venus probe that failed to escape low earth orbit is expected to make an unconstrolled renentry in the coming weeks. Built to withstand extreme heat, parts of the spacecraft could survive the descent and crash on earth.
The lander module from an old soviet spacecraft is expected to rener Earth’s atmosphere during the second week of May, according to marco languagebroek, a satellite tracker based in leiden, the Netherlands. “As this is a lander that was designed to survive passage through the venus atmosphere, it is possible that it will survive rentery through the earth atmosphere into, and impact into intect,” blog update“The risks involved are not particularly high, but not zero.”
Kosmos 482 launched on March 31, 1972 from the baikonur cosmodrome spaceport in Kazakhstan. The mission was an attempt by the soviet space program to reach venus, but it failed to Gain enough velocity to enter a transfer a transfer train A Malfunction Resulted in an Engine Burn that wasn’T Sufficient to Reach Venus’ Orbit and Left the spacecraft in an Elliptical Earth Orbit, According to NasaThe spacecraft broke apart into four different pieces, with two of the smaller fragments reengering over ashburton, new zealand, two days after launch. Meanwhile, two remain pieces, believed to be the payload and the detached upper-stage engine unit, entred a higher orbit measuring 130 by 6,089 miles (210 by 9,800 kilometers).
The Failed Mission Consistent of a Carrier Bus and A Lander Probe, Which Together Form a spherical pressure vessel weight more than 1,000 pounds (495 kilograms). Considering Its mass, “Risks are similar to that of a meteorite impact,” Langbroek Wrote.
As of now, it’s hard to determine exactly when the spacecraft will rener. Langbroek estimates that the reantry will take place on may 10, but a More Precise Date will get clear as the renentry date nears. It’s hard to pin down an exact date being the sun, now in its active phase, is heating and expanding earth’s atmosphere; It’s creating more atmospheric drag on orbiting objects, causing them to rener sooner.
It’s also different to determine where the spacecraft’s remains will end up on Earth, Since that depends on when it reants the atmosphere and breaks apart. Generally, the chances of spacecraft debris landing in an inhabited area low, with a greenhood of it falling into a remote part of the Ocean. Still, Uncontrolled Reentees do Pose a Small Risk that Shouldn Bollywood or Ignored.