TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian regions are confirmed to be safe from the potential fall of the Kosmos 482 spacecraft module. According to the Senior Researcher of the National Innovation Research Agency's Space Research Center (BRIN), Thomas Djamaluddin, the space debris had fallen around 12:26-12:38 WIB (WEstern Indonesian Time). He stated, "It fell into the Pacific Ocean near South America at midnight local time," to Tempo on Saturday night, May 10, 2025.
Thomas previously reported that the Cosmos 482 spacecraft module was predicted to fall on Saturday afternoon, May 10, 2025. The potential regions for the fall were identified as Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, South America, Europe, and India. "The potential regions in Indonesia for the fall are North Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, South Sulawesi, and East Nusa Tenggara," he said.
According to Thomas, the Kosmos 482 object would pass through Indonesian territory around 13:00 WITA (Central Indonesia Time). The object's orbit crosses the region between 52 degrees North Latitude and 52 degrees South Latitude, making Indonesia potentially affected by the fall as well. He added, "The time and location of the fall cannot be confirmed due to atmospheric interference uncertainty."
It is highly likely that the object will fall into the ocean, forests, or deserts. "Although the possibility of it falling in populated areas cannot be ruled out," said Thomas.
According to the information on the BRIN website, Kosmos 482 is a spacecraft owned by the Soviet Union, now Russia, which was launched in 1972 and is now at risk of falling to Earth. The spacecraft was originally designed for a landing mission on Venus, but it failed to reach its orbit due to a malfunction during the final launch stage. The landing module then became space debris in Earth's orbit for 53 years.
The object's altitude has been continuously decreasing from 10,000 kilometers and is estimated to fall within a few minutes when its altitude is around 120 kilometers. The landing module, with an incredibly strong titanium heat shield, is estimated to fall intact onto the Earth's surface. Weighing 0.5 tons, the spherical landing module with a diameter of about 1 meter is expected to descend rapidly like a fireball on Saturday, May 10, 2025.
BRIN stated that the Space Research Center continues to intensively monitor its orbital path as it approaches the critical altitude of 120 kilometers. The monitoring aims to determine the most potential areas for the space debris fall by observing its final orbit path. "The public does not need to worry, but they should remain cautious," said Thomas. He added that no country can anticipate the uncontrolled fall of space debris.
Editor's Choice: Old Soviet Spacecraft Kosmos 482 Could Fall in Four Indonesian Areas Today, Says BRIN
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
Indonesia's CPO Prices at Risk Amid Ongoing India-Pakistan War
39 menit lalu
Chair of the Indonesian Palm Oil Entrepreneurs Association (Gapki) assures that the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan has yet to impact crude palm oil (CPO) prices.
May 1998: Dark Days in Indonesian History
1 jam lalu
The article describes the tragic events that took place in Indonesia in May 1998, including riots and human rights violations.
Empowering Youth: Indonesia's School to Work Transition Strategy Against Unemployment
1 jam lalu
Get to know the School to Work Transition program that will be launched by the Ministry of Manpower to reduce the unemployment rate among young people, especially vocational high school graduates.
U.S. Issues Travel Warning for Indonesia; Papua on 'Do Not Travel' List
11 jam lalu
Despite being a favorite among American travelers, Indonesia is now considered unsafe, especially Papua. The U.S. issued travel warning for Indonesia.
LPEI Suggests Exporters Engage Indonesian Diaspora in Australia
13 jam lalu
LPEI suggests that export-oriented businesses engage the Indonesian diaspora in Australia, as they have a better understanding of the market.
Today's Top 3 News: Kosmos 482 Could Fall in Indonesia, Rarest Coins in the World
16 jam lalu
Here is the list of the top 3 news on Tempo English today.
Indonesia Nominates Two Legal Experts for Key Roles in ILC and ITLOS
20 jam lalu
Indonesia has officially nominated two prominent legal experts for key positions in international legal organizations.
Old Soviet Spacecraft Kosmos 482 Could Fall in Four Indonesian Areas Today, Says BRIN
22 jam lalu
BRIN Space Research Center has reported that the spacecraft Kosmos 482 is expected to fall to Earth on Saturday afternoon, May 10, 2025.
How Indonesia's AI System Detects Malaria
1 hari lalu
For a long time, malaria diagnosis has been done manually through a microscope, making the process prone to errors due to fatigue or limitations of expert personnel.
Indonesia Calls on UK to Push Israel on Gaza Ceasefire Deal
1 hari lalu
Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono urges the UK to create an atmosphere for Israel to adhere to the ceasefire in Gaza
