Since 1972, the Space-482 planting module has been in orbit around the Earth, which aimed to explore Venus, but because of a technical malfunction he could not fulfill his mission. Now, over half a century, this Soviet spacecraft, which has become part of space debris, is approaching our planet.
The Space-482 module was launched on March 31, 1972 to study Venus. However, after a successful start, the ship got into orbit the land, where due to the accident he was unable to continue his trip to the Red Planet. The module remains to rotate around our planet, becoming part of space debris, but with size and weight that significantly exceeds most other debris. According to scientists who monitor the movement of space debris, "Space-482" should enter the atmosphere of the Earth between May 8 and 11, 2025. It is old space equipment, 1 meter in diameter and almost 500 kg weighing, will move to the ground at a speed of about 240 km/h. However, the exact time and place of its fall remain in question, since the movement of space objects can be affected by solar activity that change atmospheric resistance. It is still most likely that the Space-482 module will fall between 52 degrees of northern and southern latitude, given that most of the Earth is covered with oceans, scientists believe that the fall will be more likely to occur in the water. However, it is likely that the module can fall on land, even in inhabited areas.
This module was designed to withstand extreme conditions on Venus, including high temperatures up to 500 ° C and extraordinary pressure. Therefore, there is a chance that it will not completely burn in the Earth's atmosphere, but will reach its surface. In the case of falling, the module "Space-482" will look like a big meteor, brightly glowing in the sky, which will allow observers to see this event.
This story not only reminds us of old space projects, but also gives another lesson about how much space debris remains in orbit.
