Mars moon lander strays off course
- 12 years ago
The Phobos-Grunt spacecraft prepares to lift off from Kazakhstan.
The unmanned Russian probe is embarking on an ambitious three-year mission to bring back a soil sample from the Mars moon, Phobos.
It is hoped dust from the moon will hold clues to the genesis of the solar system's planets, and help clarify whether Mars is or ever was suitable for life.
But Russia's first interplanetary mission in more than two decades has already gone awry. According to the head of the Russian space agency, an engine on the probe failed to fire and it has been unable to lock on to the proper course towards Mars.
Officials are in contact with the probe, which remains in Earth's orbit, and have three days to set it on course before the batteries run out.
Failure of the 163 million dollar mission would be a major blow to Russia's space industry, which is haunted by memories of past mishaps when trying to explore Mars and its surrounds.
Nick Rowlands, Reuters.
The unmanned Russian probe is embarking on an ambitious three-year mission to bring back a soil sample from the Mars moon, Phobos.
It is hoped dust from the moon will hold clues to the genesis of the solar system's planets, and help clarify whether Mars is or ever was suitable for life.
But Russia's first interplanetary mission in more than two decades has already gone awry. According to the head of the Russian space agency, an engine on the probe failed to fire and it has been unable to lock on to the proper course towards Mars.
Officials are in contact with the probe, which remains in Earth's orbit, and have three days to set it on course before the batteries run out.
Failure of the 163 million dollar mission would be a major blow to Russia's space industry, which is haunted by memories of past mishaps when trying to explore Mars and its surrounds.
Nick Rowlands, Reuters.