What was Kosmos 482 intended to do when it was launched in 1972?

Kosmos 482 was launched as part of the Soviet Union's Venera program, intended to land on Venus.

13 articles

·4M

Soviet Spacecraft Kosmos 482 Plummets to Earth After 50 Years

Kosmos 482, a Soviet spacecraft lost during a failed Venus mission, has re-entered Earth's atmosphere, confirmed to fall over the Indian Ocean.

l 8%

c 46%

r 46%

Soviet-Era spacecraft crashes back to Earth after 53 years

FOX News

Soviet-era spacecraft plunges back to Earth after 53 years stuck in orbit

CBS News

Soviet-era spacecraft plunges to Earth after 53 years stuck in orbit

The Guardian

Spacecraft Plunges to Earth After 53 Years Stuck in Orbit

Newsmax

Spacecraft Plunges to Earth After 53 Years Stuck in Orbit

Newsmax

Spacecraft Plunges to Earth After 53 Years Stuck in Orbit

Newsmax

Spacecraft Plunges to Earth After 53 Years Stuck in Orbit

Newsmax

Soviet-era spacecraft plunges to Earth after 53 years stuck in orbit

Associated Press

Soviet-era spacecraft plunges to Earth after 53 years stuck in orbit

Boston Herald

Soviet Kosmos 482 spacecraft crashes into an unknown site on Earth

NBC News

Soviet-era spacecraft is expected to plummet to Earth this weekend after 53 years

Associated Press

A half-ton Soviet spacecraft is about to crash into Earth, but don't panic

NBC News

Soviet-Era Kosmos 482 Space Probe Will Fall to Earth This Week—But Will It Burn Up During Re-Entry?

The Debrief

Subscribe to unlock this story

We really don't like cutting you off, but you've reached your monthly limit. At just $5/month, subscriptions are how we keep this project going. Start your free 7-day trial today!

Get Started

Have an account? Sign in

Overview

A summary of the key points of this story verified across multiple sources.

Kosmos 482, a half-ton Soviet spacecraft launched in 1972 toward Venus, re-entered Earth's atmosphere on Saturday. The spacecraft, monitored by the European Space Agency and U.S. Space Command, was last tracked over Germany before entering an uncontrolled descent. Initial reports suggest it came down over the Indian Ocean, although the exact location remains uncertain. Experts anticipated some debris could survive, given its titanium structure. Fortunately, the likelihood of injury from falling debris is extremely low. Kosmos 482's re-entry highlights ongoing concerns about space debris management from Cold War-era missions.

Written by AI using shared reports from

13 articles

Report issue

Read both sides in 5 minutes each day

Analysis

Compare how each side frames the story — including which facts they emphasize or leave out.

A Soviet-era spacecraft that failed to launch to Venus more than 50 years ago plunged to Earth on Saturday. The European Union Space Surveillance confirmed the uncontrolled reentry of Kosmos 482, highlighting concerns regarding effective tracking and management of space debris.
Experts have noted that while the spacecraft's debris posed little risk to public safety, the incident underscored the importance of developing robust space traffic management protocols as uncontrolled reentries become more frequent with increasing space activities.
The U.S. Space Command's inability to precisely predict the reentry location of Kosmos 482 emphasizes the current challenges in monitoring larger pieces of space debris, serving as a call for enhanced international cooperation in debris management.

How we categorize media bias