Kosmos 482 rocketed into space in 1972 on a quest to reach Venus, but its journey was scuttled by an apparent engine malfunction.

A Soviet-era spacecraft plunged to Earth on Saturday, more than a half-century after its failed launch to Venus.

Kosmos 482, a Soviet-era spacecraft launched in 1972, re-entered Earth’s atmosphere Saturday after over 50 years in orbit.

Kosmos-482, a spacecraft bound for Venus in 1972, was a time capsule from the Cold War when superpowers had broad ambitions for exploring the solar system.

The spacecraft, stuck in orbit since 1972 after an unsuccessful mission to Venus, plunged into the Indian Ocean.

The failed Soviet spacecraft Kosmos 482 has finally returned to Earth after 53 years in orbit. It disappeared into the Indian ...

Credit: Sovfoto/Universal Images Group via Getty Images 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 ...

A few pieces of Kosmos 482 fell to Earth a few weeks after its launch in 1972, although the Soviet space program refused to acknowledge the findings. A Dutch astronomer captured photos of the ...

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 ...