Astronomers have hypothesized that the near-Earth object 2005 VL₁, previously considered an asteroid, may actually be the Soviet automatic station «Venera-2», launched in 1965. This conclusion was reached by American astrophysicists Abraham Loeb and Richard Cloet, after analyzing the orbit and characteristics of the mysterious space body.
Object 2005 VL₁ was discovered two decades ago. It orbits the Sun in an elongated trajectory, approaching Earth and Venus. Its unusual acceleration for no apparent reason led scientists to classify it as a «dark comet» — a body without a coma or tail, but with signs of activity.
However, Loeb and Cloet's calculations showed that in November 1965, 2005 VL₁ came as close as possible to Earth, and in February 1966 it flew past Venus, which coincides with the trajectory of the Soviet station «Venera-2». The probability of a random coincidence is less than 1%.
The reflective properties of the object indicate the possible presence of solar panels. Its acceleration is explained by the pressure of sunlight — an effect on which the principle of a solar sail is based.
«Venera-2» was launched on November 12, 1965 to study Venus. Communication with it was interrupted before approaching the planet. The station flew at a distance of 24 thousand km from Venus and became an artificial satellite of the Sun. Researchers noted that the reflective properties of 2005 VL₁ resemble the brilliance of the solar panels and metal elements of the probe, and its acceleration corresponds to the effect of solar light pressure, which could affect the design of the device.
This is not the first time that old spacecraft have been mistaken for asteroids. For example, object 2020 SO turned out to be a stage of a 1966 rocket, and J002E3 was part of the «Saturn-5» rocket of the «Apollo-12» mission. However, 2005 VL₁ may be the first example of a «dark comet» that is actually a man-made object.
The discovery underscores the importance of archival data for identifying lost space missions. If the hypothesis is confirmed, 2005 VL₁ will become a unique artifact of the early era of space exploration, continuing its journey through the Solar System.
Earlier www1.ru reported that Roscosmos has published declassified materials about the automatic interplanetary stations Venera-11 and Venera-12. They tell about the creation of spacecraft, as well as about the tasks set to study the surface of a neighboring planet.
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