A failed Soviet spacecraft has crashed back down to Earth during an 'uncontrolled re-entry' after being stuck in space for 53 years. The spacecraft, called Kosmos 482, was launched in 1972 and once bound for Venus, but a malfunction meant it never left our planet's orbit.

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.

It’s not every day that a space relic comes home. But this week, a forgotten Soviet spacecraft finally ended its long wait. After more than five decades in orbit, Kosmos 482 has returned to Earth. Launched in March 1972,