Soviet-Era spacecraft crashes back to Earth after 53 years
Fox NewsSaturday, May 10, 2025 at 2:44:26 PM
** A Soviet-era spacecraft, Kosmos 482, which had been stuck in orbit for over five decades after a failed mission to Venus, finally made its fiery return to Earth on Saturday. Launched in 1972, the probe never made it to its destination and instead spent half a century circling our planet before gravity pulled it back down.
What This Means: ** It’s a quirky reminder of how much space junk is still floating around up there—some of it decades old. While this particular reentry wasn’t dangerous (most of it likely burned up), it highlights the growing issue of orbital debris and the long-lasting legacy of early space missions. Plus, it’s a neat bit of Cold War space history coming full circle.
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