Kosmos 482, the relatively small Soviet-era spacecraft, is predicted to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere sometime 10 days before or after May 10, 2024. Kosmos 482, launched in 1972, was one of a series of missions that successfully made an initial survey of the planet Venus. Sadly, a failure in its rocket system prevented it from escaping Earth’s orbit. The spacecraft was originally meant to enter the dense, carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere of Venus. Yet, it has remained in low Earth orbit for over five decades.
In comparison, Kosmos 482 had had almost half a ton—more than 500 kilograms, or over 1,000 pounds—to work with. As it prepares for re-entry, it becomes a serious threat. The mission’s science can be done with the spacecraft descending from 51.7 degrees north to 51.7 degrees south latitude. This wide berth would allow for landing spots as far north as London and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and nearly to Cape Horn, South America, to the south.
If Kosmos 482 makes an uncontrolled re-entry through the atmosphere reaches mottling speed of approximately 150 mph (242 km/h). That’s extremely سریع! The heat shield is designed to withstand the terrible re-entry conditions. If this critical element collapses, experts caution that the spacecraft may disintegrate on re-entry.
Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, stated, “it’ll re-enter intact and you have a half-ton metal object falling from the sky.” Marco Langbroek, a satellite tracker, sought to calm public fears over the risks. He noted, “While not without risk, we should not be too worried,” adding that “the risk is similar to that of a random meteorite fall, several of which happen each year. You’d have a higher chance of being struck by lightning over your entire life.”
The potential for Kosmos 482 to survive re-entry and land intact alarms space safety experts. If it does survive reentry, the spacecraft would certainly be a very expensive piece of junk as it comes crashing to Earth. If the heat shield were to fail, it would probably break apart before striking the earth. This dramatically cuts the risk posed to populated areas.