Share to ClassroomOld Spacecraft Falls to Earth
An old Soviet spacecraft fell back to Earth on Saturday. Its name is Kosmos 482. It had been in space for more than 50 years. A European space group confirmed the fall. No one knew exactly where it came down.
The Soviet Union sent Kosmos 482 into space in 1972. It was meant to go to Venus. Venus is the hottest planet. But a rocket problem stopped the trip. The spacecraft got stuck near Earth. The lander was about one metre wide. It weighed more than 495 kilograms.
It was hard to know when or where it would fall. The Sun's activity made it harder to guess. Most old space machines are made to land in the ocean. But this one was not controlled. Scientists said the chance of hitting a person was very small.
