The world was watching the skies as Kosmos 482, a Soviet-era spacecraft launched in 1972, made an uncontrolled re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere after 53 years in orbit.
Originally destined for Venus as part of the Soviet Union’s ambitious Venera program, this 1,100-pound relic of the Cold War space race is now hurtling back to Earth, and experts are scrambling to predict where it might land. Among the potential impact zones?
New Jersey, along with a wide swath of the globe was in its crosshairs.
This time, it landed in the Indian Ocean west of Jakarta, Indonesia, but could a future wayward spacecraft or satellite threaten earth.
Maybe, but the chances are slim, as much of the earth is covered by oceans, the probability of an impact in New Jersey is limited. Most space junk burns up as it re-enters the Earth’s atmosphere. For now, we’re safe.
A Half-Century in Orbit
Kosmos 482 was designed to brave the crushing heat and pressure of Venus’s atmosphere, equipped with a titanium heat shield and a robust descent module built to survive extreme conditions.
However, a rocket failure shortly after its launch on March 31, 1972, stranded the spacecraft in an elliptical orbit around Earth.
While its twin, Venera 8, successfully reached Venus and transmitted data, Kosmos 482 became a forgotten piece of space junk—until now.
Over decades, atmospheric drag has slowly pulled the spacecraft closer to Earth.
Recent weeks saw its orbit decay rapidly, prompting warnings from the European Space Agency, NASA, and Roscosmos, Russia’s space agency.
On Saturday morning, at approximately 9:24 a.m. Moscow time (2:24 a.m. EDT), Kosmos 482 returned to earth over the Indian Ocean.
Whether it survived the fiery descent—remains uncertain.
The unpredictability of Kosmos 482’s re-entry sparked concern worldwide, with New Jersey among the regions flagged as at risk.
Posts on X earlier this week highlighted updated crash zones, placing New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Michigan at “increased risk.” Astronomers had mapped potential impact zones, with a blue path of possible landing sites spanning major cities like London, Philadelphia, and New York City.
What it?
New Jersey’s dense population and proximity to urban centers like Newark and Jersey City amplify concerns.
However, experts caution that the odds of the spacecraft striking a populated area are slim.
“Most of Earth’s surface is ocean, and even on land, the chances of hitting a city are extremely low,” according to one scientist.
This time, the spacecraft’s titanium heat shield and Venus-ready design mean it could survive re-entry intact, potentially reaching the ground as a hazardous projectile. Most satellites aren’t designed for planetary re-entry. Many are designed to burn up before they hit the ground, like Elon Musks’s Starlink satellites.
Why Kosmos 482 Was No Ordinary Space Junk
Unlike typical satellites that burn up or break apart during re-entry, Kosmos 482’s robust construction sets it apart.
Built to withstand Venus’s hellish environment—temperatures hot enough to melt lead and atmospheric pressure 90 times that of Earth’s—the spacecraft’s descent module is “like a tank,” according to Fox Weather. This durability raises the possibility that parts of the 500-kilogram (1,100-pound) craft could crash land, posing risks to people or property.