Soviet Kosmos 482 Spacecraft Reenters Earth After 53 Years Over Indian Ocean

Kosmos 482, a Soviet spacecraft launched in 1972 intended for a Venus landing, never left Earth's orbit due to a rocket malfunction and finally reentered the atmosphere over 50 years later. The spacecraft's titanium-encased descent capsule, designed to endure Venus's harsh conditions, survived the fiery plunge and fell into the Indian Ocean west of Indonesia, according to Roscosmos. Despite efforts from multiple space agencies to track its final descent, the exact location and condition of any surviving debris remain uncertain, with no eyewitness reports or recoveries confirmed. European and U.S. space agencies narrowed the reentry window through radar and orbital tracking but could only provide estimated crash zones, ranging from the South Pacific to western Europe and Australia. The capsule was equipped with a parachute, but it likely did not deploy after decades in orbit. Kosmos 482's long orbit and eventual return captivated space watchers due to its unusual survival prospects compared to typical space debris.