Get ready for a celestial spectacle! A Soviet-era spacecraft, built to conquer the scorching surface of Venus, is set to crash back to Earth this weekend after a staggering 53 years in orbit.

This half-ton titanium-coated space relic, known as Kosmos 482, never made it to its intended destination. Instead, it has been caught in Earth's gravitational grip since its launch in 1972. But now, experts predict it's about to make its fiery return!

While many hope it will survive the searing descent through our atmosphere, the spacecraft is expected to impact early Saturday morning, U.S. Eastern Time. With the odds of it landing in a populated area being incredibly low, scientists believe it will either fall into the ocean or a remote region.

University of Colorado Boulder scientist Marcin Pilinski assures that even though it's anticipated that most of Kosmos 482 will not disintegrate upon re-entry, any surviving fragments could be significantly damaged on impact.

Space debris trackers worldwide are honing in on the spacecraft's expected re-entry point, but with the unpredictable nature of solar activity and the spacecraft's aging condition, pinpointing the exact timing and location remains a challenge.

Dutch scientist Marco Langbroek estimates that if Kosmos 482 holds together, it could hit the ground at a staggering speed of 150 mph! Can you imagine?

Originally designed to be part of the Soviet Venera program, this spacecraft was sidelined due to a rocket malfunction, leaving it hauntingly adrift around Earth for five decades. A spherical titan at 3-feet wide and weighing over 1,000 pounds, Kosmos 482 is the last remnant of its original mission, as all its other components had already plunged back to Earth years ago.

And here's a twist: any surviving pieces of this wayward spacecraft will legally belong to Russia under a United Nations treaty. Will it be a giant space souvenir or a historic artifact? Only time will tell!