53 Years After Its Launch, This Soviet Spacecraft Is About to Crash Into Earth

The Soviet space program had a lot of hope riding on the Cosmos 482 mission when it launched in March 1972. The mission included a lander destined for Venus. The spacecraft never made it out of Earth orbit -- and now it's coming home, but not in a good way. The lander probe is expected back around May 10. Should you be worried? "Because the probe was designed to withstand entry into the Venus atmosphere, it is possible the probe (or parts of it) will survive reentry at Earth and reach the surface," NASA said. Also known as Kosmos 482, the lander probe weighed in at over 1,000 pounds at launch and was stocked with instruments designed to study the hellish surface of the second planet from the sun. The mission hit a rough patch after reaching Earth orbit and separating into four pieces, two of which quickly decayed out of orbit. The lander probe and the upper-stage engine unit went into a higher orbit. "It is thought that a malfunction resulted in an engine burn which did not achieve ... Read full article.