A Soviet-era spacecraft, after 50 years circling our planet, finally crashed into the Indian Ocean—making it the ultimate late check-out in space history. Soviet-era spacecraft debris rarely gets this dramatic, orbiting Earth for decades before its final splashdown.

This Soviet-era spacecraft’s spectacular plunge into the Indian Ocean, after half a century above us, underscores both the longevity and finality of human engineering. Soviet-era spacecraft don’t often complete such a journey, but cosmic souvenirs always make a memorable exit.