The Kosmos-482 spacecraft, launched as part of the Soviet Venera program in 1972, is finally expected to reenter Earth's atmosphere after being stuck in orbital decay for over fifty years. Initially intended for a mission to Venus, a rocket failure left it in a decaying orbit. Now, as it loses altitude, it is anticipated to break through the atmosphere after years of spiraling out of control. Unlike most debris which burns upon reentry, Kosmos-482's titanium heat shield raises the likelihood that it may survive the plunge intact, making its landing of particular interest to scientists and the public alike.
What makes Kosmos-482 different is that its descent craft was encased in a titanium heat shield so that it could endure a brutal atmospheric entry at Venus and thus it has a very good chance of reaching Earth's surface more or less intact.
Sometime in the next few days (no one can say exactly when), over some part of our planet (no one can say exactly where), that doom spiral will end as Kosmos-482 dips down into lower, thicker air and begins a final, fiery plunge through the atmosphere.
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