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.

Predictions for the earthly plunge of a wayward Soviet era Venus space probe are narrowing as the old spacecraft is expected to crash back to Earth Friday night.

Debris from the 50 year-old probe Cosmos 482 crash-landed into the Indian Ocean over the weekend.