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Scottish Sun
07-05-2025
- Science
- Scottish Sun
Soviet spaceship could crash back to Earth at 17,000mph in HOURS as map reveals impact zone for doomed 500kg Venus probe
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A SOVIET spacecraft once destined for Venus is expected to crash land on Earth this week after more than 50 years stuck in orbit. The Cold War-era spacecraft, called the Kosmos 482 Descent Craft, is set to embark on a fiery descent through the atmosphere between 8 May and 12 May. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 A Cold War Soviet spaceship is set to crash back into Earth this week Credit: ESA/David Ducross 2 The red-zone shows where the spaceship could hit The failed Venus probe has been stuck in low Earth orbit since its launch in 1972. Marco Langbroek, a lecturer in space situational awareness at Delft Technical University in the Netherlands predicted the landers return in a blog post. The spacecraft is expected to hit Earth at a staggering speed of 17,000mph - which Langbroek likened to a meteorite impact. Soon after its botched launch, Kosmos 482 broke into several pieces. The probe's main body reentered Earth's atmosphere on 5 May, 1981. Though the Descent Craft has remained in orbit for almost 53 years, until now, when it appears to be breaking free. It is just one of roughly 35,000 pieces of space debris, measuring more than 10cm in size, which are being tracked by experts. At 3ft-wide and 495kg in weight, the lander is unlikely to burn up in Earth's atmosphere on its descent. Langbroek has mapped out where the hunk of space debris might land. The projected landing zone covers an enormous area on both sides of the equator. Space Debris Crisis: Running Against the Clock Kosmos 482 is expected to fall anywhere between latitude 52 degrees north and 52 degrees south - which puts London, alongside other major cities, from New York to Beijing, in possible danger. Also in the red-zone are Australia, South America, and Africa, as well as parts of Europe, North America and Asia. Nobody knows for sure where Kosmos 482 will hit. What was Kosmos 482? By Lydia Doye KOSMOS 482 launched by a Soviet Molniya booster on March 31, 1972, as part of a mission to Venus. The craft successfully made it into an Earth parking orbit, but Soviet scientists failed to launch the probe into its Venus trajectory causing it to break into four pieces. Two of these chunks remained in a low-Earth orbit and fell onto New Zealand within two days. The remainder of the craft is now expected to hurtle into the Earth in May at a staggering speed of 17,000mph. It's important to note the spacecraft has a significant amount of ocean to plunge safely into. The odds of the rogue spacecraft hitting a populated area are exceptionally slim. Most pieces of deorbited space debris land in the sea or unpopulated areas. Russia's space agency, Roscosmos, said probability that the fall will cause any damage is extremely small. The Kosmos 482 was previously feared to hit the Earth back in 2019. Video footage from October 2020 shows the failed spaceship plummeting out of orbit. The startling footage shows the out-of-control craft hurtling through the sky - headed for Earth.
The Irish Sun
07-05-2025
- Science
- The Irish Sun
Soviet spaceship could crash back to Earth at 17,000mph in HOURS as map reveals impact zone for doomed 500kg Venus probe
A SOVIET spacecraft once destined for Venus is expected to crash land on Earth this week after more than 50 years stuck in orbit. The Cold War-era spacecraft, called the Kosmos 482 Descent Craft, is set to embark on a fiery descent through the atmosphere between 8 May and 12 May. Advertisement 2 A Cold War Soviet spaceship is set to crash back into Earth this week Credit: ESA/David Ducross 2 The red-zone shows where the spaceship could hit The failed Venus probe has been stuck in low Earth orbit since its launch in 1972. Marco Langbroek , a lecturer in space situational awareness at Delft Technical University in the Netherlands predicted the landers return in a The spacecraft is expected to hit Earth at a staggering speed of 17,000mph - which Langbroek likened to a meteorite impact. Soon after its botched launch, Kosmos 482 broke into several pieces. Advertisement READ MORE ON SPACE The probe's main body reentered Earth's atmosphere on 5 May, 1981. Though the Descent Craft has remained in orbit for almost 53 years, until now, when it appears to be breaking free. It is just one of roughly 35,000 pieces of At 3ft-wide and 495kg in weight, the lander is unlikely to burn up in Earth's atmosphere on its descent. Advertisement Most read in Science Exclusive Langbroek has mapped out where the hunk of space debris might land. The projected landing zone covers an enormous area on both sides of the equator. Space Debris Crisis: Running Against the Clock Kosmos 482 is expected to fall anywhere between latitude 52 degrees north and 52 degrees south - which puts London, alongside other major cities, from New York to Beijing, in possible danger. Also in the red-zone are Australia, South America, and Africa, as well as parts of Europe, North America and Advertisement Nobody knows for sure where Kosmos 482 will hit. What was Kosmos 482? By Lydia Doye KOSMOS 482 launched by a Soviet Molniya booster on March 31, 1972, as part of a mission to Venus. The craft successfully made it into an Earth parking orbit, but Soviet scientists failed to launch the probe into its Venus trajectory causing it to break into four pieces. Two of these chunks remained in a low-Earth orbit and fell onto New Zealand within two days. The remainder of the craft is now expected to hurtle into the Earth in May at a staggering speed of 17,000mph. It's important to note the spacecraft has a significant amount of ocean to plunge safely into. The odds of the rogue spacecraft hitting a populated area are exceptionally slim. Most pieces of deorbited space debris land in the sea or unpopulated areas. Advertisement Russia's space agency, Roscosmos, said probability that the fall will cause any damage is extremely small. The Kosmos 482 was previously feared to hit the Earth back in 2019. Video footage from October 2020 shows the failed spaceship plummeting out of orbit. The startling footage shows the out-of-control craft hurtling through the sky - headed for Earth. Advertisement What is space debris? Space debris is an umbrella term for any bit of junk, disused equipment and otherwise, that is currently stuck in Earth's orbit. And it has spiralled into a big problem since the dawn of the space age in the 1950s. There are nearly 30,000 objects bigger than a softball hurtling a few hundred miles above Earth, ten times faster than a bullet. It poses huge risks to satellites and the International Space Station (ISS), where crew occasionally have to maneuver out of the way of objects hurtling towards them. In 2016, a fleck of paint managed to chip a window in the ISS because it was moving at such high speeds in Earth's orbit. The problem is, it's not just a space issue - but Earth's too. Objects in space undergo a process called orbital decay, which means they orbit closer to Earth as time goes on. Debris left in orbits below 600km normally fall back to Earth within several years. While most space debris burns up on reentry to Earth's atmosphere - there are some bits that don't. This is particularly the case with larger objects, like the EP-9 pallet. A report by US watchdog, the Federal Aviation Authority, published last year warned that space debris that survived the fiery reentry could kill or injure someone on Earth every two years by 2035.
The Irish Sun
29-04-2025
- Science
- The Irish Sun
Cold War era Soviet spaceship destined for Venus to FINALLY crash back to Earth at 17,000mph… and could hit UK
A COLD War era Soviet spaceship destined for Venus is set to crash back to Earth, and it could hit the UK. Kosmos 482 took off in 1972, but a failed launch left the spaceship circling lifelessly above us – until now. Advertisement 6 A Cold War Soviet spaceship is set to crash back into Earth on May 10 Credit: ESA/David Ducross 6 Soviet spaceship Venera 4 being prepared for it's flight to Venus in 1967 Credit: Getty 6 Kosmos 482 - the craft set to hit Earth - was launched five years after the Venera 4 Credit: Getty 6 The red-zone shows where the spaceship could hit Marco Langbroek, a satellite tracker based in the Netherlands, has predicted that the spacecraft will strike the Earth on May 10. And according to the satellite watcher it's set to hit hard and fast, at a staggering speed of 17,000mph. The Venus probe was originally built with a parachute but Langbroek warned that it would be unlikely to still work. He added: "With a mass of just under 500 kg and 1-meter size, risks are similar to that of a meteorite impact." Advertisement read more on spaceships Kosmos 482 is expected to fall a nywhere between latitude 52 degrees north and 52 degrees south - putting London in immediate danger . Also in the red-zone are Australia, South America, and Africa, as well as parts of Europe, North America and Asia. But while the UK is at risk, experts have said the spacecraft is most likely that the spaceship will land in the ocean. The Kosmos 482 was previously feared to hit the Earth back in 2019. Advertisement Most read in Tech Exclusive Exclusive Exclusive Video footage from October 2020 shows the failed spaceship plummeting out of orbit. The startling footage shows the out-of-control craft hurtling through the sky - headed for Earth. Watch moment crashing Chinese spaceship streaks through skies over US & breaks apart in storm of falling fireballs We've known that Kosmos 482 would fall to Earth for years – after a disastrous launch during the Cold War space race left the space junk floating. Soviet space missions typically involved putting spacecraft into an Earth "parking orbit". Advertisement The craft acted as a launch platform in space - complete with a rocket engine and probe. The probe would be launched towards its target – but if unsuccessful, it would be left in orbit and re-branded as a "Kosmos" craft. Kosmos 482 was launched by a Soviet Molniya booster on March 31, 1972, as part of a mission to Venus. The craft successfully made it into an Earth parking orbit, but Soviet scientists failed to launch the probe into its Venus trajectory causing it to break into four pieces. Advertisement Two of these chunks remained in a low-Earth orbit and fell onto New Zealand within two days. A NASA report at the time said: "The Blok L escape stage's main engine prematurely cut off after only 125 seconds of firing due to a failure in the onboard timer. "As a result, the spacecraft entered an elliptical orbit around Earth. "Officially, the Soviets named the probe Kosmos 482 to disguise its true mission." Advertisement What was Kosmos 482? By Lydia Doye KOSMOS 482 launched by a Soviet Molniya booster on March 31, 1972, as part of a mission to Venus. The craft successfully made it into an Earth parking orbit, but Soviet scientists failed to launch the probe into its Venus trajectory causing it to break into four pieces. Two of these chunks remained in a low-Earth orbit and fell onto New Zealand within two days. The remainder of the craft is now expected to hurtle into the Earth in May at a staggering speed of 17,000mph. On the morning of April 3, 1972, four titanium alloy balls that weighed around 30lbs fell within a 10 mile area outside of Ashburton, New Zealand. The balls – which measured around 15 inches across – scorched holes in crops and left deep indentations, though no one was hurt. According to international space law, the junk was supposed to be returned to its home nation. But Soviet top brass denied all knowledge of the origins of the junk, so the farmer who owned the land where the balls fell kept them instead. Advertisement Two other pieces from Kosmos 482 went into a higher orbit - and are now expected to fall. 6 This diagram of a Soviet Venera spacecraft reveals what the probe may have looked like Credit: Getty 6 The Venera preparing for launch Credit: Getty
Scottish Sun
29-04-2025
- Science
- Scottish Sun
Cold War era Soviet spaceship destined for Venus to FINALLY crash back to Earth at 17,000mph… and could hit UK
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A COLD War era Soviet spaceship destined for Venus is set to crash back to Earth, and it could hit the UK. Kosmos 482 took off in 1972, but a failed launch left the spaceship circling lifelessly above us – until now. 6 A Cold War Soviet spaceship is set to crash back into Earth on May 10 Credit: ESA/David Ducross 6 Soviet spaceship Venera 4 being prepared for it's flight to Venus in 1967 Credit: Getty 6 Kosmos 482 - the craft set to hit Earth - was launched five years after the Venera 4 Credit: Getty 6 The red-zone shows where the spaceship could hit Marco Langbroek, a satellite tracker based in the Netherlands, has predicted that the spacecraft will strike the Earth on May 10. And according to the satellite watcher it's set to hit hard and fast, at a staggering speed of 17,000mph. The Venus probe was originally built with a parachute but Langbroek warned that it would be unlikely to still work. He added: "With a mass of just under 500 kg and 1-meter size, risks are similar to that of a meteorite impact." read more on spaceships RUINED WRECK Watch as crashing China spaceship streaks through skies over US & breaks apart Kosmos 482 is expected to fall anywhere between latitude 52 degrees north and 52 degrees south - putting London in immediate danger. Also in the red-zone are Australia, South America, and Africa, as well as parts of Europe, North America and Asia. But while the UK is at risk, experts have said the spacecraft is most likely that the spaceship will land in the ocean. The Kosmos 482 was previously feared to hit the Earth back in 2019. Video footage from October 2020 shows the failed spaceship plummeting out of orbit. The startling footage shows the out-of-control craft hurtling through the sky - headed for Earth. Watch moment crashing Chinese spaceship streaks through skies over US & breaks apart in storm of falling fireballs We've known that Kosmos 482 would fall to Earth for years – after a disastrous launch during the Cold War space race left the space junk floating. Soviet space missions typically involved putting spacecraft into an Earth "parking orbit". The craft acted as a launch platform in space - complete with a rocket engine and probe. The probe would be launched towards its target – but if unsuccessful, it would be left in orbit and re-branded as a "Kosmos" craft. Kosmos 482 was launched by a Soviet Molniya booster on March 31, 1972, as part of a mission to Venus. The craft successfully made it into an Earth parking orbit, but Soviet scientists failed to launch the probe into its Venus trajectory causing it to break into four pieces. Two of these chunks remained in a low-Earth orbit and fell onto New Zealand within two days. A NASA report at the time said: "The Blok L escape stage's main engine prematurely cut off after only 125 seconds of firing due to a failure in the onboard timer. "As a result, the spacecraft entered an elliptical orbit around Earth. "Officially, the Soviets named the probe Kosmos 482 to disguise its true mission." What was Kosmos 482? By Lydia Doye KOSMOS 482 launched by a Soviet Molniya booster on March 31, 1972, as part of a mission to Venus. The craft successfully made it into an Earth parking orbit, but Soviet scientists failed to launch the probe into its Venus trajectory causing it to break into four pieces. Two of these chunks remained in a low-Earth orbit and fell onto New Zealand within two days. The remainder of the craft is now expected to hurtle into the Earth in May at a staggering speed of 17,000mph. On the morning of April 3, 1972, four titanium alloy balls that weighed around 30lbs fell within a 10 mile area outside of Ashburton, New Zealand. The balls – which measured around 15 inches across – scorched holes in crops and left deep indentations, though no one was hurt. According to international space law, the junk was supposed to be returned to its home nation. But Soviet top brass denied all knowledge of the origins of the junk, so the farmer who owned the land where the balls fell kept them instead. Two other pieces from Kosmos 482 went into a higher orbit - and are now expected to fall. 6 This diagram of a Soviet Venera spacecraft reveals what the probe may have looked like Credit: Getty
