A piece of space junk called Cosmos 482 is unlikely to pose a threat to people or property. But space experts say it highlights the need to stay vigilant.

Kosmos 482 —originally launched on March 31, 1972, as part of the Soviet Union's ambitious Venera program to explore Venus—is expected to make a crash landing on Earth around May 9–10, 2025. Due to a rocket malfunction shortly after launch, the spacecraft never made it out of Earth's orbit.