Kosmos 482, an old Soviet spacecraftdestined for a mission to Venus, has completed its long journey through space. After orbiting Earth for more than 50 years, Kosmos 482 re-entered the atmosphere and crashed back to Earth on May 10. The Russian space agency Roscosmos said the re-entry took place over the Indian Ocean, west of Jakarta. The craft appears to have splashed down safely in the sea.
However, this is just one estimate. Other space agencies have predicted different impact points, with possible locations ranging from mainland South Asia to the eastern Pacific. So far, there is no clear confirmation of the exact impact point.
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Shortly before its fall, astronomer Gianluca Masi of the Virtual Telescope Project captured an image of the craft as it crossed the sky over Rome. In the photo, the object appears as a streak of light moving diagonally. Masi explained that the image was created by stitching together four separate shots, which is why its path appears fragmented.
It's worth noting that Kosmos 482 was not intended to return to Earth. It was designed as part of the Soviet Venera, which aimed to explore Venus in the 1960s to the early 1980s.
Kosmos 482 was launched in 1972 with the intention of reaching Venus, but due to a technical failure in the rocket, it was unable to escape the gravitational pull of the Earth and remained in an elliptical orbit around it. For more than half a century, the forces of the atmosphere gradually pushed it downward, causing it to return to Earth.
Usually, large space objects like old satellites and rocket parts break up as they return to Earth, leaving behind celestial spectacles reminiscent of artificial meteor showers. But in the case of Kosmos 482, there is a possibility that it fell almost intact, as it was built to withstand the extreme conditions in Venus' thick atmosphere.
See also: Scientists detect oxygen in Venus' atmosphere
The spacecraft is about one meter in diameter and weighs about 495 kilograms. If it was not destroyed during reentry, it may have hit the surface at a speed of about 240 km/h.
On the positive side, Kosmos 482 re-entered without causing damage or injuries, which is not always a given. However, the fact that it has been in orbit for over 50 years highlights the need for better monitoring and management of objects in low Earth orbit, especially as new satellite traffic increases.
The fall is a reminder of the growing problem of space debris. Every day, about three large objects return to Earth from space — and forecasts show that this phenomenon will intensify in the coming years.
According to the European Space Agency (ESA), there are about 14,240 satellites orbiting Earth today, of which 11,400 are still operational. The majority of these active satellites come from Starlink , which numbers about 7,200 units — and is constantly expanding.
Meanwhile, other efforts to build satellite networks are underway. Amazon ,for example, has begun development of Project Kuiper, a system expected to include up to 3,200 satellites if all goes according to plan. Meanwhile, China has launched two separate satellite fleets.
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ESA warns that as activity in space increases, there will be a corresponding increase in the number of space objects re-entering the Earth's atmosphere.
Although the likelihood of serious damage or injury from the fall of such an object is low — as most of them burn up during re-entry and the rest usually end up in seas or isolated areas — the more satellites that fall, the greater the risk.
Additionally, scientists are concerned about the environmental impacts. The returns of satellites and spacecraft may pollute the atmosphere, affecting the ozone layer and potentially the global climate.
Source: www.space.com
