Leonid Brezhnev put it in the air.. and now we have to deal with it falling. Then again Leonid Brezhnev had to deal with that unibrow.. so it’s possibly fair.
Heads Up: A Soviet-Era Spaceship Is About to Crash Back to Earth — Maybe Into Your Backyard
A derelict spacecraft launched by the former Soviet Union in 1972 is expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere this week — and it’s not your typical space junk. Unlike most debris that burns up in the atmosphere, this one might actually survive re-entry… and come crashing down in one piece.
Meet Cosmos 482, also known as Kosmos 482 by the Russians. Originally designed to land on Venus, this heavy-duty spacecraft was accidentally stranded in Earth’s orbit over 50 years ago. Now, it’s making its final descent — and it’s bringing all 1,091 pounds of reinforced Soviet engineering with it.
NASA forecasts that Cosmos 482 will re-enter Earth’s atmosphere sometime between May 7 and May 13, with the most likely crash date being May 10. And here’s the kicker: experts say it might not just burn up on the way down. This Venus lander was built to survive 300 Gs of acceleration and 100 atmospheres of pressure. Translation: it’s a flying tank — and it’s coming home.
This is not the first time that COSMOS 482 has showered the earth with problems. Back in 1973, one year after its launch by the Ruskies, some portions of it fell to New Zealand as documented by this account in the Lebanon PA DAILY NEWS on June 9, 1973:
But now the mother load–the actual piece of debris itself–will fall.
So where will it land? Good question. The current projections are wide — it could hit anywhere from the United States, Mexico, South America, Africa, Europe… or yes, even your house. At this point, the best advice might be: don’t look up… unless you hear something coming.
Stay tuned — and maybe keep your insurance up to date.
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