Originally launched in 1972 by the Soviet Union with the mission of reaching Venus, the Kosmos 482 spacecraft never managed to leave Earth's orbit due to a launch failure. After decades of circling our planet, the spacecraft has finally re-entered the atmosphere and fallen to Earth, bringing an end to long-standing speculation about its fate.
In recent weeks, concerns were growing about where the spacecraft would land. With its robust structure designed to withstand extreme atmospheric pressure and a mass of around 500 kilograms, experts feared that Kosmos 482 could survive re-entry and cause significant damage depending on its impact location. Several countries were identified as being potentially at risk, heightening global anxiety.
Fortunately, those fears did not materialize. Kosmos 482 crashed into the Indian Ocean, approximately 560 kilometers off the Andaman Islands, far from any populated areas. Preliminary assessments suggest that the spacecraft likely remained intact upon impact.
Authorities have since announced plans to deploy exploration teams to the region. Scientists aim to study the impact zone and recover any remnants of the spacecraft for further analysis.