[FoxWeather] A decades-old Soviet spacecraft is expected to reenter the Earth’s atmosphere in the coming days, but it’s still a mystery as to where it will land if it survives its fiery descent.According to NASA, the spacecraft, known as Kosmos 482, Cosmos482 or simply 05919, was a Venus-bound probe that launched atop a Russian Soyuz rocket on March 31, 1972.
NASA said that after it achieved an Earth parking orbit, it attempted to launch on a Venus trajectory but failed.
Kosmos 482 broke into four sections – two of which remained in Earth’s orbit for 48 hours, and two larger pieces that have been circling Earth ever since.
NASA said that it’s believed that a malfunction resulted in an engine burn that didn’t provide enough velocity, and that’s why it remains in an elliptical Earth orbit.