Cosmos 482, launched into space by the Soviet Union in 1972 with a destination of Venus, malfunctioned and has been in Earth's orbit since.

The probe's return to Earth had been closely monitored by multiple space agencies, including the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Union's Space Surveillance and Tracking network.

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