An out of control spacecraft launched into space by the former Soviet Union in 1972 is expected to crash into Earth this coming week –and it is possible it could crash into your home. Unlike most debris re-entering the Earth’s orbit which burns up upon interacting with the planet’s dense atmosphere, this spacecraft is hardened and is expected to crash into Earth as a whole object. According to NASA, the Cosmos 482 spacecraft , also called by Russians the Kosmos 482, is forecast to return to Earth sometime between May 7 and 13 with experts suggesting May 10 will be the most likely day for impact.
The former Soviet Union’s Cosmos 482 was launched back in 1972. Unfortunately, due to a mishap after launch, the payload of that mission were were marooned in Earth orbit, specifically the spacecraft’s lander capsule intended to parachute onto the surface of Venus. This landing module, which weighs 1,091 pounds, is highly probable to reach the surface of Earth in one piece as it was designed to withstand 300 G’s of acceleration and 100 atmospheres of pressure for its original mission to Venus. Other components from the doomed mission made its way back to Earth in the days after the March 1972 launch; the payload separated into four pieces shortly after launch, several of which reentered over New Zealand on April 3 just three days after launch.
Because the large lander capsule is tumbling out of control back to Earth, the precise time and location of impact isn’t known. Scientists believe, based on its current trajectory and orbit, it will crash somewhere in between 52 degrees north to 52 degrees south latitude. This huge area includes all of the continental United States, Mexico, Central America, and northern parts of South America, much of central and southern Europe and Asia, and northern parts of Africa. It also includes vast areas of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and scientists hope the out-of-control spacecraft will crash there.
But a crash into your own backyard is possible too.
On average, 100-200 tons of space junk re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere in an uncontrolled manner every year. While most of the objects are small and harmless and do burn-up prior to reaching the Earth’s surface, large objects like this spacecraft from the former Soviet Union can bring harm to the surface if they survive re-entry.
If the rocket were to create damage in another country, there are international treaties in place that would make the launching country potentially liable for damages. That happened in 1978 when a Soviet reconnaissance satellite Kosmos 954 made an uncontrolled re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere over Canada. Debris eventually crashed into Canada’s Northwest Territories, depositing toxic waste into the soil at the crash site. Citing the the 1967 Outer Space Treaty and 1972 Space Liability Convention, the Canadian government decided to use the Liability Convention to make the U.S.S.R. pay for damages. After a period of negotiation, the Soviet Union agreed to pay Canada 6 million Canadian dollars for damage. However, it is unclear whether the full amount was ever paid.
The treaties also state that countries keep ownership of objects they launch into space, even after those objects reenter and return to earth. It is also worth noting that the treaty says that the launching country is also internationally liable for damages. While the treaty provides that “a launching State shall be absolutely liable to pay compensation for damage caused by its space objects on the surface of the Earth or to aircraft, and liable for damage due to its faults in space,” the United States would need to negotiate on your behalf with Russia. Private individuals would be unable to bring Russia to court to pay for damages.
The Aerospace Corporation is one entity tracking the out-of-control rocket.In 2020, Aerospace Corporation tracked the falling rocket, providing updates to its forecast up until impact time. In March of 2018, Aerospace also tracked a falling Chinese space station. It eventually crashed into the ocean. The Aerospace Corporation performs objective technical analyses and assessments for a variety of government, civil, and commercial customers; it is an independent, non-profit corporation operating within the space industry.
