A Soviet-era spacecraft has plunged to Earth, more than a half-century after its failed launch to Venus.
Its uncontrolled entry was confirmed by both the Russian Space Agency and European Union Space Surveillance and Tracking.
The spherical lander, estimated to be 3 feet (1 metre) across, was the last part of the spacecraft to come down, succumbing to the pull of gravity as its orbit diminished. Experts indicated that the lander was made of titanium and had a weight exceeding 1000 pounds (495 kilograms).
Any surviving wreckage will belong to Russia under a United Nations treaty.
There was uncertainty among scientists, military experts, and others regarding the specific time and location where the spacecraft would reenter the atmosphere as they observed its descent. It was a challenging task to predict these details accurately.
Solar activity added to the uncertainty as well as the spacecraft’s deteriorating condition after so long in space.
After so much anticipation, some observers were disappointed by the lingering uncertainty over the exact whereabouts of the spacecraft’s grave.
“If it was over the Indian Ocean, only the whales saw it,” Dutch scientist Marco Langbroek said via X.
As of Saturday afternoon, the US Space Command had yet to confirm the spacecraft’s demise as it collected and analysed data from orbit.
The US Space Command routinely monitors dozens of reentries each month.
Kosmos 482 stood out from other spacecraft as it was deemed more likely to withstand the reentry process, drawing additional attention from government and private space tracking entities. This unique characteristic led to increased surveillance and interest in the fate of the spacecraft.
It was also coming in uncontrolled, without any intervention by flight controllers who normally target the Pacific and other vast expanses of water for old satellites and other space debris.
