A Soviet spacecraft collides with Earth after a failed launch from Venus

It was not immediately known where the spacecraft arrived or how much, if any, of the half-ton spacecraft survived the fiery descent from orbit. Experts have previously said that some, if not all, of them may collapse, since they were built to withstand subsidence On the planet VenusThe hottest planet in the solar system.

This image provided by researcher Jane Greaves shows Venus, as seen from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Akatsuki probe in May 2016. ((J. Greaves/Cardiff University/Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency via AP)

Scientists said that the chances of anyone being exposed to spacecraft debris are very low.

It was launched in 1972 by Soviet UnionThe spacecraft known as Cosmos 482 was part of a series of missions headed to Venus. But it never made it out of Earth orbit, as it was stranded there due to a rocket malfunction.

Most spacecraft return to Earth within a decade of a launch failure. The spacecraft could no longer resist the force of gravity as its orbit diminished, and an estimated 3 feet (1 meter) wide was the last part of the spacecraft to descend. The vehicle was covered in titanium, according to experts, and weighed more than 1,000 pounds (495 kilograms).

The US Space Command has not yet confirmed the location of the spacecraft.

After monitoring the descent of the spacecraft, scientists, military experts and others were unable to determine in advance precisely when or where the spacecraft might land.

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Solar activity added to the uncertainty as well as the deterioration of the spacecraft’s condition after a long period in space.

As of Saturday morning, the US Space Command had not yet confirmed the death of the spacecraft, as it collected and analyzed data from orbit.

US Space Command routinely monitors dozens of reentries each month. What set Cosmos 482 apart from the others — and earned it extra attention from the government and private space trackers — is that it was more likely to survive re-entry into the atmosphere, according to officials.

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They were also coming out of control, without any intervention by flight controllers who normally target the Pacific Ocean and other vast expanses of water for old satellites and other space debris.

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