California's Ranch Fire burned 459,123 acres in 53 days; eight years later, crews planted 71,000 seedlings across the scar in eight days

Kosmos 482 Was Built to Survive 900°F and 90 Earth Atmospheres on Venus. It Never Left Earth Orbit — and 53 Years Later It Was Still Too Tough to Burn Up

Kosmos 482 lifted off from Baikonur on 31 March 1972, bound for Venus as the sister craft to Venera 8. It reached parking orbit, then the upper-stage burn terminated early. Instead of escaping Earth's gravity, the descent capsule entered a highly elliptical orbit and stayed there for 53 years, reentering over the Indian Ocean in May 2025.

California's Ranch Fire burned 459,123 acres in 53 days; eight years later, crews planted 71,000 seedlings across the scar in eight days

Eight years after California's devastating Ranch Fire burned more than 459,000 acres, the US Forest Service and partner organisations planted 71,000 conifer seedlings in just eight days. The reforestation effort is part of a long-term plan to restore damaged forest, reduce future wildfire risk and support natural recovery across the Mendocino National Forest.