What are your plans next week. Mine include trying not to get hit by a Soviet satellite.
What was supposed to land on Venus could crash basically anywhere on Earth next week. Why is it coming back? 1970s Communist Russia wasn’t known for patiently getting science stuff done right. They were more interested in showing off whatever the consequences.
So, the Kosmos 482 Probe that was launched in 1972 and supposed to land on Venus, ended up malfunctioning right after leaving Earth. It’s been in orbit ever since. And because………. Russia…….. they haven’t really kept track of it. Another research station in the Netherlands noticed it’s on the way back. Also, since it was made to withstand the horror that is Venus where it literally rains sulfuric acid, there’s a good chance it won’t burn up.
The good news is that they think the risk of a big bad event is low. The bad news is that it’s not zero.
After doing the math, this is what they said about where it could crash, “Much of south and mid-latitude Europe and Asia, as well as the Americas and the whole of Africa and Australia. Of course, the biggest chances are that it will land in one of the oceans.” The estimated date is May 10, give or take a few days.