What to Know About Kosmos-482, a Soviet Spacecraft Returning to Earth After 53 Years
A robotic Soviet spacecraft has been adrift in space for 53 years. It will return to Earth later this week. Kosmos-482 launched in March 1972. If all had gone well, it would have landed on the sweltering surface of Venus and become the ninth of the uncrewed Soviet Venera missions to the planet. Instead, a…