Soviet-era spacecraft plunges back to Earth after 53 years stuck in orbit

The craft had been meant to reach Venus (Alamy/PA)

A Soviet-era spacecraft has plunged to Earth on Saturday, more than half a century after its failed launch to Venus.

The European Union Space Surveillance and Tracking confirmed Kosmos 482’s uncontrolled re-entry, based on analysis and no-shows of the spacecraft on subsequent orbits.