NASA scientists say a 1972 probe launched by the Soviet Union may meet a fiery end crashing back into Earth in the coming days.

Though most projections estimate that the object will reenter the atmosphere around May 10, unknowns about its exact shape and size — as well as the unpredictability of space weather — make some degree of uncertainty inevitable.

Part of a Soviet-era spacecraft known as Cosmos 482 may return to Earth this week, more than 50 years after it embarked on a botched mission to Venus.