<ul><li>Soviet-era spacecraft Kosmos 482, meant to land on Venus, is set to reenter Earth's atmosphere after a misfire over 50 years ago.</li><li>Kosmos 482, about a half-ton in mass, was designed with a titanium heat shield to survive Venus' extreme conditions and now faces reentry into Earth.</li><li>The spacecraft has a good chance of surviving the plunge through Earth's atmosphere, as its design is meant to withstand high pressures and temperatures.</li><li>Although most space debris burns up during reentry, the European Space Agency predicts that Kosmos 482 is likely to reach Earth's surface intact.</li></ul>

A Soviet-era spacecraft built to land on Venus is falling to Earth instead

Discover more