Azimio Jipya
JF-Expert Member
- Nov 27, 2007
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It is expected that the Russian space agency will announce the failure of the Phobos-Grunt mission in the next few days..
THE GIST
Launched on Tuesday, the ambitious Mars moon mission remains stranded in Earth orbit.
The probe's engines failed to fire, preventing the mission from coasting to Mars.
A solution has yet to be found and sources are indicating that efforts to save the mission have failed.
enlarge
An artist's impression of the Phobos-Grunt probe in Mars orbit -- sadly the mission didn't leave low-Earth orbit.
Efforts to resume contact with a Russian space mission to Mars stuck in Earth orbit after launch have failed and the probe must be considered lost, Interfax news agency reported Saturday.
"All attempts to obtain telemetric information from the Phobos-Grunt probe and activate its command system have failed. The probe must be considered lost," Interfax quoted a source in the Russian space sector as saying.
The source said Russia's space agency would announce the failure of the mission in the next few days.
ANALYSIS: Toxic Russian Mars Probe Heads Back to Earth
The space agency had said earlier scientists had a window of only a few days to reprogram the probe in a bid to send it on its route to Mars. If this does not happen, Phobos-Grunt would fall back to Earth early next month.
The mission went awry after launch Wednesday when the five-billion-ruble ($165 million) probe's engine failed to fire, leaving it orbiting the Earth rather than starting its journey towards the red planet..
More...Russian Mars Probe 'Considered Lost' : Discovery News
THE GIST
Launched on Tuesday, the ambitious Mars moon mission remains stranded in Earth orbit.
The probe's engines failed to fire, preventing the mission from coasting to Mars.
A solution has yet to be found and sources are indicating that efforts to save the mission have failed.
enlarge
An artist's impression of the Phobos-Grunt probe in Mars orbit -- sadly the mission didn't leave low-Earth orbit.
Efforts to resume contact with a Russian space mission to Mars stuck in Earth orbit after launch have failed and the probe must be considered lost, Interfax news agency reported Saturday.
"All attempts to obtain telemetric information from the Phobos-Grunt probe and activate its command system have failed. The probe must be considered lost," Interfax quoted a source in the Russian space sector as saying.
The source said Russia's space agency would announce the failure of the mission in the next few days.
ANALYSIS: Toxic Russian Mars Probe Heads Back to Earth
The space agency had said earlier scientists had a window of only a few days to reprogram the probe in a bid to send it on its route to Mars. If this does not happen, Phobos-Grunt would fall back to Earth early next month.
The mission went awry after launch Wednesday when the five-billion-ruble ($165 million) probe's engine failed to fire, leaving it orbiting the Earth rather than starting its journey towards the red planet..
More...Russian Mars Probe 'Considered Lost' : Discovery News
