Kosmos 482, a spacecraft designed to land on Venus and marooned in Earth orbit since being launched by the U.S.S.R. in 1972, has made an uncontrolled re-entry.

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

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