spacetoday.net: ESA antenna receives signal from Phobos-Grunt

Posted: Wed, Nov 23, 2011, 7:55 AM ET (1255 GMT)
Phobos-Grunt illustration (Roscosmos)

A European Space Agency antenna in Australia has detected a radio signal from Russia's Phobos-Grunt spacecraft, the first contract from the Mars-bound spacecraft since it was stranded in Earth orbit two weeks ago. A brief statement on the ESA web site stated that its tracking station near Perth, Australia, detected a signal from the spacecraft at about 3:25 pm EST (2025 GMT) Tuesday. According to reports the station's 15-meter antenna received a radio signal, but "no meaningful telemetry", from the spacecraft during its pass over the station. Another attempt to contact Phobos-Grunt is planned for Wednesday, using the same antenna. Contact with Phobos-Grunt had been lost since shortly after its Zenit rocket placed the spacecraft into a temporary parking orbit. Two engine burns intended to place the spacecraft on a trajectory to Mars did no take place, and no signals had been received from the spacecraft until now. Russian officials had grown increasingly doubtful prior to this latest development that the mission could be salvaged.