Cape Canaveral, Florida (AP) – The Halfton Soviet spacecraft, which never reached Venus fifty-three years ago, is expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere this weekend.
Designed to land on the hottest planets in the solar system, the titanium-coated spacecraft can withstand the extreme conditions of an uncontrolled re-entry on Saturday. Experts anticipate it will most likely land in the vast oceans or remote areas.
Scientist Marsin Pilinsky from the University of Colorado Boulder stated that the chances of impacting a populated region are “infinitely small.”
“We expect most of the object to withstand burning during re-entry, but it could sustain significant damage on impact,” Pilinsky noted via email.
As of Friday, projections indicated re-entry could occur early Saturday morning in US Eastern Time, with a variance of several hours. Globally, space debris trackers have collaborated on these forecasts, but the precise timing and landing site for the spacecraft, known as Kosmos 482, remain uncertain, influenced by possible solar activity and the aged condition of the spacecraft. The parachute is expected to be non-functional, and its battery has long been depleted.
Dutch scientist Marco Langrok estimated the impact speed at 150 mph (242 kph) if the spacecraft maintains its structural integrity.
The Soviets launched Cosmos 482 in 1972 with plans to send it to Venus as part of the Venera program. However, a rocket failure left it stranded in Earth’s orbit, and gravity has since dictated its eventual descent.
This spherical spacecraft, measuring over 3 feet (1 meter) in diameter and weighing more than 1,000 pounds (495 kilograms), is the last remnant of Cosmos 482 that will fall from the sky; all other components fell within a decade.
The remaining debris is considered to belong to Russia under the United Nations Treaty.
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Source: apnews.com