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Soviet spacecraft built to land on Venus in 1972 spent 53 years orbiting Earth and finally returned without burning up
The Times of India • • science
Key Points:
- Kosmos 482, a Soviet spacecraft launched in 1972 to land on Venus, was stranded in Earth orbit for 53 years due to a rocket malfunction, re-entering Earth's atmosphere on 10 May 2025.
- The spacecraft's descent capsule was specially designed with a rugged titanium shell to withstand Venus's extreme heat and pressure, which likely helped it survive re-entry largely intact.
- Originally part of the Soviet Union's extensive Venera programme during the Cold War, Kosmos 482 never reached Venus because of an upper stage engine failure caused by a timer error.
- The capsule remained in a highly elliptical Earth orbit for decades before atmospheric drag caused its eventual return, with its remains believed to have fallen into the eastern Indian Ocean.
- Kosmos 482 stands as the last surviving artifact of the Soviet Venus missions, symbolizing both the engineering prowess and the complex history of space exploration during that era.
