A 50-Year-Old Soviet Spacecraft Might Crash Back to Earth

Space junk falling from the sky may sound like something out of a sci-fi movie. But it’s actually a part of life in our modern world.

Most of it burns up before reaching us. But now and then, a larger object survives reentry.

This week, something unusual could happen. A piece of space history might finally fall back to Earth.

A Soviet spacecraft called Kosmos 482 was launched in 1972. It was meant to fly to Venus and study the planet.

That never happened. Something went wrong after takeoff. Instead of leaving Earth’s orbit, the spacecraft got stuck circling the planet, writes Videnskab.

For over 50 years, part of the spacecraft has been silently floating above us. Now, that long trip is about to end.

NASA says the landing gear — which weighs about 500 kilograms — could enter Earth’s atmosphere on May 10.

If it makes it through the heat of reentry, it will fall at a speed of around 242 kilometers per hour.

That sounds alarming. But experts say there’s no real reason to worry.

Dutch space scientist Marco Langbroek explains that while the reentry isn’t completely without risk, the chance of getting hurt is extremely small.

The part of the spacecraft that may survive the fall is actually quite small. Most of it will likely burn up before reaching the ground.

Even if something does make it to Earth, the odds of it hitting a person are very low.

About the same as getting hit by a meteorite, which happens now and then but rarely causes harm.

Langbroek puts it simply. He says you’re more likely to get struck by lightning at some point in your life than to be hit by falling space debris.

So, if you hear about an old Soviet probe heading our way, there’s no need to panic.

It’s more a reminder of how far space exploration has come — and how some missions, even failed ones, can orbit in our skies for decades.