spacetoday.net: space news from around the webin association with SpaceNews


Phobos-Grunt launched but stranded in orbit
Posted: Wed, Nov 9, 2011, 7:40 AM ET (1240 GMT)
Phobos-Grunt illustration (Roscosmos) Russia launched its first Mars mission in 15 years early Wednesday, but a technical problem has stranded the spacecraft in Earth orbit, at least temporarily. A Zenit-2FG rocket carrying the Phobos-Grunt spacecraft lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 3:16 pm EST Tuesday (2016 GMT Tuesday, 2:16 am local time Wednesday). The rocket worked as planned, placing Phobos-Grunt into a parking orbit. Two engine burns were then to take place to send the spacecraft on a trajectory towards Mars. However, the first of the two firings did not take place, and the spacecraft remains in orbit. Russian officials say they have contingency plans to deal with the malfunction, which may be linked to the spacecraft's failure to switch from a sun sensor to other systems. In its current state the spacecraft's batteries will last three days, after which time the spacecraft will be lost. If Pobos-Grunt can be recovered, the spacecraft will travel to Mars, landing on the Martian moon Phobos. There it will collect samples of the moon and return them to Earth in 2014. The spacecraft is also carrying a small Chinese spacecraft that is that country's first Mars mission.
<<previous article   next article>>
news in brief
Senate hearing raises doubts of Artemis
Posted: Sat, Sep 6 8:50 AM ET (1250 GMT)

NASA names new associate administrator
Posted: Sat, Sep 6 8:46 AM ET (1246 GMT)

President Trump moves Space Command HQ to Alabama
Posted: Sat, Sep 6 8:44 AM ET (1244 GMT)

news links
Saturday, September 13
SpaceX, Northrop Grumman to launch supplies to ISS
Spectrum News — 5:52 am ET (0952 GMT)
Cornell-led space tech startup acquired by Pasteur Labs
Cornell Univ. — 5:51 am ET (0951 GMT)
How China Is Transforming Space Power
The Diplomat — 5:46 am ET (0946 GMT)


about spacetoday.net   ·   info@spacetoday.net   ·   mailing list