A failed Soviet Venus lander will fall back to Earth after 53 years

[Rick]

A failed Soviet Venus lander will fall back to Earth after being stranded for 53 years

In late March 1972, the Soviet Union's Cosmos 482 was launched. But that attempted Venus probe ran amuck during its rocket-assisted toss to the cloud-veiled world. Major elements of that failed craft remained in Earth orbit.

The upper stage of the Soyuz booster launching that Venus probe cut off prematurely, leaving the payload marooned in Earth orbit. But there is new news for this old probe: "In about two weeks from now, on or near May 9-10, an unusual uncontrolled reentry will happen." That's the report from satellite watcher Marco Langbroek of the Netherlands. He has been taking telescopic looks at the errant, Earth-circling Cosmos 482 remains for numbers of years.

What's ahead is the reentry of the Cosmos 482 descent craft – the landing module of the errant Soviet Venera mission that failed over 53 years ago.

More: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/a-failed-soviet-venus-lander-will-fall-back-to-earth-after-being-stranded-for-53-years

[Rick]

'Really bizarre': The day a strange metal sphere fell from space in Canterbury (New Zealand)

On April 3, 1972, a ball of fire with a long tail was seen falling from the sky over Canterbury - and soon after it appeared a strange metal sphere was found lying in a field near Ashburton.

The sphere weighed 13.6kg, had a diameter of 380mm, and left a hole in the ground 150mm deep.

In the months following, five more spheres were found across Mid and South Canterbury, as well as a cylinder and metal fragments.

The sphere, on show at Ashburton Aviation Museum, has generated years of public interest.

More: https://www.odt.co.nz/star-news/star-districts/star-mid-canterbury/really-bizarre-day-strange-metal-sphere-fell-space

[Rick]

New light on mysterious space balls

Declassified government files have shed new light on the discovery of mysterious space rubble on Canterbury farmland 30 years ago.

On March 31, 1972, the Russian space vessel Soviet Cosmos 482 broke into four parts, two of which remained in low orbit and eventually rained down on Earth.

At 1am on April 3 that year, four red-hot 13.6kg titanium alloy balls landed within a 16km radius of each other, just outside Ashburton.

The 38cm-diameter spheres scorched holes in crops and made deep indentations in the soil, but no one was injured.

A similarly shaped object was discovered near Eiffelton, 20km from Ashburton, six years later.

The findings were reported at the time, but declassified Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports filed with Archives New Zealand contain further information, including correspondence on the matter between the then Soviet and United States authorities.

The documents say the balls were thoroughly analysed by New Zealand scientists.

More: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/new-light-on-mysterious-space-balls/VYQ6S2QIC4QREO55ERXWVIKNSI/