Kosmos 482, Soviet-era spacecraft, plunges to Earth after 53 years in orbit

After days of speculation, Soviet-era spacecraft Kosmos 482 crashed into Earth on Saturday (May 10), Russia's space agency Roscosmos confirmed. The uncontrolled reentry occurred at 2:24 am ET (0624 GMT or 9:24 am Moscow time), 560 km west of Middle Andaman Island in the Indian Ocean.

The 53-year-old Cold War-era Soviet spaceship, initially bound for Venus, fell harmlessly into the sea after some reports claimed that it might fall on land.

"The Kosmos-482 spacecraft, launched in 1972, ceased to exist, deorbiting and falling into the Indian Ocean. The descent of the spacecraft was monitored by the Automated Warning System for Hazardous Situations in Near-Earth Space," Roscosmos said in a Telegram update.