A Soviet-era spacecraft known as Kosmos 482, launched in 1972, has re-entered Earth’s atmosphere and crashed into the Indian Ocean, according to Russia’s space agency Roscosmos on Saturday.
Roscosmos reported that the spacecraft re-entered at 06:24 GMT, ultimately landing off the coast west of Jakarta, Indonesia. As of now, no damage or debris has been reported.
Kosmos 482 was originally launched on March 31, 1972, as part of the Soviet Union’s “Venera” program, which aimed to explore Venus between 1961 and 1983.
The probe was intended to land on Venus, but a malfunction in its launch vehicle prevented it from escaping Earth’s gravity. Instead, the spacecraft remained in orbit for 53 years before making its final descent.
The European Space Agency (ESA) also confirmed that the probe entered the atmosphere, but did not provide further information about potential damage or wreckage.