A Soviet spacecraft launched in 1972 has crashed into the Indian Ocean, according to Russia’s space agency Roscosmos. The Kosmos 482 probe had been orbiting Earth for over five decades after a failed mission to Venus.
Roscosmos reported that the spacecraft re-entered Earth’s atmosphere on Saturday morning, and fell into the ocean west of Jakarta, Indonesia. The descent was monitored by the Automated Warning System for Hazardous Situations in Near-Earth Space. No damage or injuries were reported.
Kosmos 482 was launched on March 31, 1972, as part of the Soviet Union’s program aimed at exploring Venus. However, due to a malfunction in the upper stage of its launch vehicle, the spacecraft failed to escape Earth’s gravity and remained in an elliptical orbit.
