ZAP // Rave, naturalearthdata / Wikipedia
A world map that shows the expected (clear) area where the 482 Kosmos probe could fall to Earth this week
It is highly unlikely to happen, but Kosmos 482 may fall into the head of someone in Portugal… In fact, in Portugal and almost all over the world. Very few countries that get bored.
To Soviet spaceship Kosmos 482 which was accidentally trapped in the orbit of Earth 52 years ago should on our planet this week.
Experts provide for the ship to make its last immersion in the atmosphere between May 8 and 12, traveling at an estimated speed of 242 km/h.
Made and launched by the USSR in 1972 as part of the Soviet Union Venera Program to explore Venus, the 1 meter wide probe and 495 kg should remain intact when falling into the earth – as a kind of kind of “Cosmic Bullet”describes a.
For now, no one knows for sure where Kosmos 482 will fall, but its area of Potential landing covers most of the planet.
However, Professor of Spatial Situational Awareness at the Technical University of Delft, in the Netherlands, provides that, given the current orbit of the satellite, it can land anywhere between 52 degrees of north latitude and 52 degrees of southern latitude – where Portugal is… And most of the countries of the world, as you can see on the map below.
ZAP // Rave, naturalearthdata / Wikipedia
Replica of the Soviet probe worships 4; World Map with the range between (assembly)
In Europe, for example, only the six countries Nordica Estoniaa Latonia and Scotland They seem to be danger -free.
(Almost) head of danger
Experts are still to reassure the population, sensitizing it to the fact that about 71% of the surface of our planet is covered with water; And, therefore, be Highly unlikely that Kosmos 482 falls into our heads.
In fact, most spatial debris that come out of orbit fall even in the ocean.
astrophysicist of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, wrote in its blog That the probabilities that the spaceship falls directly over our head are “the usual, one in several thousands”, associated with the fall of spatial debris.
Kosmos 482 is just one of about 50,000 pieces of space waste over 10 centimeters. In a common agreement of the European Space Agency (ESA), the orbital collisions and the uncontrolled reentry are becoming increasingly common, with “Intact satellites or rocket bodies (…) now reentry in the earth’s atmosphere more than three times a day”.
