A Soviet spacecraft from the Cold War era is expected to re-enter Earth's atmosphere after 53 years in orbit. The spacecraft, which will likely burn up upon re-entry, could land in various locations, including Türkiye.
The "Kosmos 482" spacecraft, which belonged to the Soviet Union, was launched in 1972 with the goal of reaching Venus. However, due to a malfunction in the rocket's ignition system, the spacecraft was unable to leave Earth's orbit.
Now, after more than half a century of uncontrolled drifting in orbit, the 500-kilogram spacecraft is expected to re-enter the atmosphere around May 10.
Scientists suggest that despite being designed to withstand Venus' harsh atmosphere, which is one of the most dangerous environments in the solar system, the capsule may not disintegrate as it enters Earth's atmosphere and could potentially land in one piece.
The spacecraft is expected to fall between the 52nd parallels north and south, with Türkiye being one of the potential landing locations. However, experts emphasize that the likelihood of the capsule landing in Türkiye is extremely low.
According to NASA, there are approximately 25,000 pieces of space debris larger than 10 centimeters in Earth's orbit. These pieces can remain in orbit for up to 100 years before entering the atmosphere and burning up.
Such space debris poses a significant threat to space operations, as they can potentially damage spacecraft or satellites.
