Daijiworld Media Network - Moscow

Moscow, May 10: Bringing an end to weeks of speculation, Russia’s space agency Roscosmos on Saturday confirmed that the Soviet-era spacecraft Kosmos 482 re-entered Earth’s atmosphere and plunged into the Indian Ocean, 560 km west of Middle Andaman Island.

The Cold War relic, launched in 1972 and originally intended for Venus, made its final descent at 2:24 am ET (0624 GMT, 9:24 am Moscow time). Weighing nearly 500 kg, Kosmos 482 had remained trapped in Earth’s orbit for over five decades following a mission failure.

In a statement on Telegram, Roscosmos said, “The Kosmos-482 spacecraft, launched in 1972, ceased to exist, deorbiting and falling into the Indian Ocean. The descent of the spacecraft was monitored by the Automated Warning System for Hazardous Situations in Near-Earth Space.”

According to The Guardian, the European Space Agency’s (ESA) space debris office also confirmed the spacecraft’s fiery plunge after it failed to appear over a German radar station.

Originally launched by the Soviet Union, Kosmos 482 was built to withstand the harsh environment of Venus. Due to a timer malfunction, the spacecraft’s engine shut down prematurely, stranding it in orbit.

Its robust build, designed to endure high pressures and heat, raised concerns it might survive reentry and hit land. However, the probe disintegrated safely over water, as monitored by global space agencies.

NASA and ESA had earlier projected a potential crash date between May 9 and 13, finally narrowing it down to May 10. Experts had estimated its fall within 52 degrees north or south of the equator, an area covering most of the world’s surface.

Despite its troubled mission, the spacecraft’s end was calm and uneventful fitting for a silent relic of the space race era.