Old Soviet Venus lander's fall to Earth will be no ordinary space junk crash. Here's why

A circular white space probe with the red letters "CCCP" on its side is seen in a room.

This will be no ordinary space junk fall.

The Soviet Union's failed Kosmos 482 spacecraft will crash to Earth in the coming days after more than 50 years in orbit. Its homecoming may not spark the sorts of artificial meteor showers we're used to seeing from falling rocket bodies and other pieces of debris, however, because Kosmos 482 was built different: It's a Venus lander.