Time was, the Soviet Union fairly owned Venus. From 1961 to 1983, the U.S.’s old space race rival launched 16 probes, Venera 1 through Venera 16, that either flew by, orbited, or landed on Venus—with three of them failing en route.

A piece of space junk called Cosmos 482 is unlikely to pose a threat to people or property. But space experts say it highlights the need to stay vigilant.