The "Kosmos-482" space probe, launched towards Venus in the distant 1972, is preparing for a historic meeting with Earth. Between May 10 and May 14, 2025, the 480-kilogram descent module may land in Southern Russia.
Scientists are observing the flight of the "Kosmos-482" probe with particular interest. The device is designed to withstand the extreme environment of Venus. On this planet, the temperature reaches +462 degrees Celsius, and the pressure is dozens of times higher than on Earth. Researchers hope that the probe will survive entry into the Earth's atmosphere.
Scientists will have the opportunity to study the materials of the device, including high-strength titanium, which have survived half a century of exposure to cosmic radiation and micrometeorite impacts. Such data will help design more reliable spacecraft in the future.
The exact location and time of the fall cannot be predicted due to the influence of solar activity on the trajectory of the probe. But scientists continue to carefully monitor its every movement, preparing for the return of the Soviet space probe.
Initially, the probe was launched as a backup for the "Venera-8" station. But due to a failure in the operation of the booster block, which was supposed to send the device to Venus, the backup remained in near-Earth orbit and was named "Kosmos-482" — in the Soviet space program there was a tradition: unsuccessful missions that could not fulfill their main tasks were named "Kosmos" with a serial number. Therefore, this probe was named "Kosmos-482". Two of its fragments fell in New Zealand, and the main module, weighing 480 kg, remained in orbit and is gradually losing altitude.
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