Cosmos 482 Re-Entry

Introduction to Cosmos 482

After 53 years in orbit, a piece of Soviet rocket has re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere, burning up and potentially landing in southern England. The rocket, known as Cosmos 482, was launched in 1972 and was intended to land on Venus, but it failed to escape Earth’s orbit.

The Re-Entry Event

Scientists have not yet confirmed the exact location of the re-entry, but an organization has predicted that it occurred in southern England early on Saturday morning. The European Space Agency estimated that the re-entry happened between 06:04 UTC and 07:32 UTC. However, six major space organizations that track re-entries have placed it over the Atlantic, Germany, and even Australia.

History of Cosmos 482

Cosmos 482 was launched from the USSR, now Kazakhstan, in 1972. The upper stage of the rocket, which was responsible for taking it out of orbit, failed, leaving the probe in orbit around the Earth. Parts of the rocket re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere in the 1980s, but a piece remained in orbit.

Characteristics of the Rocket

The rocket was about three feet long and weighed around half a ton. When it re-entered the atmosphere, it would have been traveling at enormous speeds, generating intense heat and creating a fireball. However, by the time it landed, it would have slowed down to a few hundred miles per hour.

Impact and Aftermath

While the rocket would not have caused significant damage, it would still have been a substantial object falling from the sky. Scientists are conducting further calculations to determine exactly what happened to Cosmos 482 during its re-entry. The European Space Agency and other organizations are working together to track and predict the re-entry of space debris like Cosmos 482.