Launched in 1972 by the Soviet Union, the spacecraft known as Kosmos 482 was part of a series of missions bound for Venus. But this one never made it out of orbit around Earth, stranded there by a rocket malfunction.

A Soviet-era spacecraft meant to land on Venus a half century ago is expected to plunge uncontrolled back to Earth within days.

A spacecraft launched more than 50 years ago is expected to make an uncontrolled reentry into Earth’s atmosphere in the coming days. The defunct probe from the former Soviet Union, known as Kosmos 482,