Reentry into the atmosphere of the Cosmos 482 space module
The Civil Protection Department is closely monitoring the event with the Italian Space Agency: the likelihood of an impact on Italian territory is extremely low, estimated at one in a million
The Soviet landing module Cosmos 482, launched in 1972 towards Venus, has been in orbit for over fifty years due to a malfunction during the launch phase. It is now heading toward the atmosphere for an uncontrolled reentry.
According to the Italian Space Agency, analyses conducted by the Centro Space Situational Awareness (C-SSA) of the Air Force suggest that two potential orbits could intersect with Italian territory, each covering an area of approximately 200 km in width, as illustrated in the attached image. However, the probability of an actual impact on Italian territory is extremely low, estimated at one in a million.
The first orbit will cross over Italy between 5:03 and 5:04 AM on May 10, passing over parts of Sardinia and the central regions of Italy. The second orbit will occur between 11:06 and 11:08 AM on the same day, potentially impacting Calabria, Sicily, Piemonte, and Liguria areas. An image of the trajectories is attached.
The Civil Protection Department, alerted by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) in accordance with the operational procedures for uncontrolled reentries of artificial objects, convened a technical meeting this afternoon. Representatives from various organizations participated, including ASI, the Presidency of the Council of Ministers - Office of the Military Advisor, the Ministry of the Interior - National Fire and Rescue Service (Central Directorate for Emergency), the Ministry of Defense - Joint Operational Command, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC), ENAV S.p.A, the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), and the Special Civil Protection Commission. The reentry of the Cosmos 482 module into the atmosphere and the ongoing monitoring measures have also been reported to representatives of the Civil Protection Operational Committee.
For additional information on the reentry windows and expected orbits, please visit https://www.eusst.eu/.