A Soviet-era spacecraft meant to land on Venus in the 1970s is expected to soon plunge uncontrolled back to Earth. It’s too early to know where the half-ton mass of metal might come down or how much of it will survive reentry. A Dutch scientist predicts the craft will reenter around May 10. The Soviet Union launched the spacecraft in 1972, one of a series of Venus missions. But it never made it out of Earth orbit because of a rocket malfunction. Experts believe the lander portion has been circling the world for 53 years, gradually dropping in altitude.
A Soviet-era spacecraft meant to land on Venus in the 1970s is expected to soon plunge uncontrolled back to Earth. It’s too early to know where the half-ton mass of metal might come down or how much of it will survive reentry. A Dutch scientist predicts the craft will reenter around May 10. The Soviet Union launched the spacecraft in 1972, one of a series of Venus missions. But it never made it out of Earth orbit because of a rocket malfunction. Experts believe the lander portion has been circling the world for 53 years, gradually dropping in altitude. AP Technology and Science
