# Kosmos 482 Descent Craft > Soviet Venera descent module, part of Kosmos 482 which failed to escape Earth orbit, which reentered in 2025 **Wikidata**: [Q134430479](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q134430479) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/kosmos-482-descent-craft ## Summary The Kosmos 482 Descent Craft was a Soviet space probe module designed to land on Venus as part of the Kosmos 482 mission. Launched on March 31, 1972, the module failed to escape Earth's orbit due to a rocket malfunction and remained in space as derelict hardware for over 50 years. The 495-kilogram reentry capsule ultimately reentered Earth's atmosphere on May 10, 2025. ## Key Facts * **Classification:** Soviet Venera descent module and reentry capsule (COSPAR ID: 1972-023E). * **Launch Date:** March 31, 1972, at 04:02:33 UTC from Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 31. * **Reentry Date:** May 10, 2025, at approximately 06:24 UTC. * **Mass:** 495 kilograms. * **Manufacturer:** NPO Lavochkin. * **Launch Vehicle:** Molniya-M rocket (serial number 7801421-513). * **Power Source:** Battery-powered system. * **Mission Outcome:** Failed to escape Earth orbit; the descent craft remained in orbit until decaying in 2025. ## FAQs ### Q: What was the purpose of the Kosmos 482 Descent Craft? A: The craft was a descent module intended to survive atmospheric entry and land on Venus as part of the Soviet Venera program. Although the parent mission, Kosmos 482, failed to leave Earth's orbit, the descent craft was a fully functional lander designed to withstand harsh atmospheric conditions. ### Q: Why did the Kosmos 482 mission fail? A: The mission failed because the spacecraft was unable to achieve the necessary trajectory to escape Earth's orbit. While the specific mechanical failure details are not in the provided source, the result was that the hardware, including the descent craft, was stranded in a decaying Earth orbit rather than proceeding to Venus. ### Q: When did the Kosmos 482 Descent Craft reenter Earth's atmosphere? A: The descent craft reentered Earth's atmosphere on May 10, 2025, at 06:24 UTC. This event occurred more than 53 years after its launch in 1972. ## Why It Matters The Kosmos 482 Descent Craft represents a significant case study in the long-term management of space debris and the durability of interplanetary hardware. Originally constructed by the Soviet Union to withstand the immense pressure and heat of Venus, the titanium-hulled capsule was designed for extreme durability. This robust design meant that, unlike typical space debris that disintegrates upon reentry, the Kosmos 482 Descent Craft had a high probability of surviving its fall back to Earth intact. Its reentry in 2025 marked the final chapter of a mission that spanned over half a century. For astronomers and space agencies, the object served as a long-term subject of tracking and orbital mechanics study. The eventual decay of its orbit provided real-world data on how heavy, durable space objects interact with the atmosphere after extended periods in space. The event highlighted the lingering presence of Cold War-era space assets in Earth's orbital environment. ## Notable For * **Venus-Grade Durability:** Designed as a Venera lander to withstand Venusian atmospheric entry, making it structurally robust enough to likely survive Earth reentry intact. * **Extended Orbital Life:** Remained in Earth orbit for 53 years following its launch failure in 1972 before finally reentering in 2025. * **Mission Anomaly:** It is a rare example of a planetary lander that became a long-term Earth satellite due to a launch failure. * **Specific Tracking:** The object was distinct enough to be tracked by satellite watchers and cataloged with the specific Satellite Catalog Number (SCN) 06073. ## Body ### Development and Specifications The Kosmos 482 Descent Craft was manufactured by NPO Lavochkin, a primary developer of Soviet planetary probes. As a "reentry capsule," it was a specialized spacecraft module engineered to enter an atmosphere intact. Weighing 495 kilograms, the module was battery-powered and constructed to endure the extreme environments associated with landing on Venus. ### Launch and Mission Failure The module was launched atop a Molniya-M rocket (serial 7801421-513) on March 31, 1972. The launch originated from Site 31 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. While the launch vehicle successfully lifted off, the payload failed to achieve the escape velocity required to leave Earth's orbit. Consequently, the payload was designated Kosmos 482, a standard Soviet practice for objects remaining in Earth orbit, and the specific descent craft component was assigned the COSPAR ID 1972-023E. ### Orbital Decay and Reentry Following the mission failure, the descent craft entered a highly elliptical Earth orbit. Over subsequent decades, orbital friction gradually lowered its perigee (lowest point of orbit). Tracking data indicated that the object's orbit would eventually decay. According to Roscosmos and NASA sources cited in the tracking data, the Kosmos 482 Descent Craft reentered Earth's atmosphere on May 10, 2025, at 06:24 UTC. This concluded its 53-year stay in Earth orbit. ## References 1. [Source](https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/venera-v72.htm) 2. Jonathan's Space Report 3. [Source](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1972-021D) 4. [Source](https://t.me/roscosmos_gk/17407) 5. [Source](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1972-023A)