50-Year-Old Soviet Venus Probe Makes Fiery Return to Earth – Where Will It Land?
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A forgotten piece of Cold War space history is about to make a dramatic return. Kosmos 482, a Soviet Venus probe launched in 1972 that never completed its mission, is predicted to plunge back to Earth today after spending over half a century orbiting our planet.
The failed interplanetary spacecraft broke apart shortly after launch, leaving four fragments trapped in Earth's orbit. Now one of these 500kg relics - originally designed to withstand Venus' extreme conditions - will make an uncontrolled fiery descent through our atmosphere.
Astronomers are tracking its final moments with bated breath. "While we can't predict the exact landing point, our models suggest it could pass over several Arab nations," explains Mohammed Shawkat Odeh, director of the International Astronomy Centre and head of their satellite monitoring program.
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Three leading space agencies have provided slightly different re-entry predictions:
European Space Agency: Between approximately midnight and morning GMT (06:36 ±3.3 hours)
Pentagon forecast: Early morning GMT window (05:45 ±2 hours)
Satellite tracking program: Morning GMT with tighter margin (07:17 ±2 hours)
The most precise estimate suggests UAE residents might witness this celestial event between breakfast and lunchtime (9:17am-1:17pm local time).
Potential impact zones shown in red/green across Middle East/North Africa regions including Syria,Iraq,Kuwait,UAE,Oman,Egypt,and Sudan. Credit:IAC Satellite Monitoring Program
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