Reentry prediction Soviet-era Venera Venus lander (Cosmos-482 descent craft)

Updated: 13 May 2025 09:30 CEST On 10 May 2025, an uncontrolled reentry took place of the Cosmos-482 descent craft, a Venera landing capsule that launched 53 years earlier. It was meant to land on Venus, but its launcher never escaped Earth’s gravity. The Soviet-era object was last spotted over Germany at 08:04 CEST on 10 May by our colleagues at Fraunhofer FHR as it passed through the sky over their antenna. Because the descent craft was not spotted one orbit later, at the expected 09:32 CEST..