A Soviet-era space probe crashed back to Earth after more than 50 years in orbit

A Soviet spacecraft that's been stuck in low Earth orbit ever since it launched in 1972 has finally crashed back down to our planet.

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Kosmos 482 rocketed into space more than 50 years ago on a quest to reach Venus, but its journey was scuttled by an apparent engine malfunction. Over time the craft fell closer and closer to Earth as its orbit decayed, and this weekend it finally came hurtling back to the planet's surface, according to multiple government space agencies.