Phobos-Grunt remains stranded in orbit
Posted: Fri, Nov 11, 2011, 7:05 AM ET (1205 GMT)
Phobos-Grunt, the Russian Mars mission launched early Wednesday, is still in Earth orbit after the latest efforts to establish contact with the spacecraft failed. Russian officials said early Friday they made several efforts to listen to signals from the spacecraft as it passed over Russian and other ground stations, but heard nothing. Communications with the spacecraft have failed since shortly after its launch vehicle placed the spacecraft into a parking orbit. Two engine burns scheduled for a few hours after launch to put the spacecraft on a trajectory towards Mars did not take place. Russian sources quoted in media reports say they are becoming very doubtful that the spacecraft can be recovered. Some reports indicate that there are only a few days to restore Phobos-Grunt before its batteries run out, while others say there's up to two weeks, at which time the spacecraft's orbit will delay to the point it will reenter the Earth's atmosphere.
Phobos-Grunt, the Russian Mars mission launched early Wednesday, is still in Earth orbit after the latest efforts to establish contact with the spacecraft failed. Russian officials said early Friday they made several efforts to listen to signals from the spacecraft as it passed over Russian and other ground stations, but heard nothing. Communications with the spacecraft have failed since shortly after its launch vehicle placed the spacecraft into a parking orbit. Two engine burns scheduled for a few hours after launch to put the spacecraft on a trajectory towards Mars did not take place. Russian sources quoted in media reports say they are becoming very doubtful that the spacecraft can be recovered. Some reports indicate that there are only a few days to restore Phobos-Grunt before its batteries run out, while others say there's up to two weeks, at which time the spacecraft's orbit will delay to the point it will reenter the Earth's atmosphere.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Monday, September 14
Avio launches pair of climate monitoring European spacecraft to study plants, oceans and atmospheric changes
Spaceflight Now — 12:00 am ET (0400 GMT) Human Spaceflight Key Agenda Item For ESA Intermediate Ministerial
Aviation Week — 11:58 pm ET (0358 GMT) FLEX and Sentinel-3C launched
ESA — 11:57 pm ET (0357 GMT) Starlink broadband pilot targets Lincolnshire's rural 'not spots'
BBC — 11:56 pm ET (0356 GMT) US military has ‘on-orbit’ space weapons, Air Force Secretary reveals
Defense One — 11:55 pm ET (0355 GMT) |
