A Soviet-era spacecraft meant to land on Venus a half century ago is expected to plunge uncontrolled back to Earth within days.

Launched in 1972 by the Soviet Union, the spacecraft known as Kosmos 482 was part of a series of missions bound for Venus. But this one never made it out of orbit around Earth, stranded there by a rocket malfunction.

Kosmos 482, was launched by the USSR in 1972 and once bound for Venus, but a badly configured timer onboard the probe meant it never left our planet's orbit.