Kosmos-482: Soviet probe crashes into the sea near Jakarta after 50 years

Paris. A space probe launched into space by the Soviet Union in 1972 has crashed in the Indian Ocean, according to Russian sources. The spacecraft entered the Earth's atmosphere at 8:24 a.m. CEST and then plunged into the sea west of the Indonesian capital Jakarta, the Russian space agency Roscosmos announced in Moscow. No information on possible damage was provided.

The European Space Agency (ESA) also assumes that the probe, called Kosmos-482, has now entered the Earth's atmosphere. Since, contrary to expectations, it was not detected again by radar systems over Germany at 9:32 a.m., it is "most likely" that entry has already occurred. Radar systems over Germany had still detected the probe early this morning between 6:30 a.m. and 8:04 a.m.

"The spacecraft was launched in the spring of 1972 to explore Venus, but due to a malfunction of the upper stage, it remained in a high elliptical orbit around Earth, gradually approaching the planet," Roscosmos said. The probe's entry was controlled by an automated system for warning of dangerous situations in near-Earth space, the agency added.

Parts of a SpaceX rocket crashed into the atmosphere and burned up. This was clearly visible in the skies over Germany and caused concern among some people. How great is the risk posed to Earth by space debris?

The space agencies had expected the crash of the nearly 500-kilogram probe with a diameter of about one meter to take place on Saturday. However, it was completely unclear where it would impact Earth.

Experts had previously expected that the probe, made of extremely durable material, could arrive on Earth in one piece because it was designed to survive entry into Venus' atmosphere. However, Roscosmos now wrote: "Kosmos-482 no longer exists." The current condition of the probe's remains remains unclear.

Between 1961 and 1983, the Soviet Union sent several space probes to explore Venus as part of the Venera program. Several of these probes landed on Venus and transmitted information from there.

RND/dpa