Phobos-Grunt goes silent again
Posted: Sat, Nov 26, 2011, 8:40 AM ET (1340 GMT)
Contact with Phobos-Grunt, the Russian Mars mission stranded in Earth orbit for over two weeks, was lost again late this week. An ESA ground station near Perth, Australia, was able to establish a signal with the spacecraft on Wednesday and received limited telemetry from the spacecraft on Thursday. However, ESA said Friday that they were unable to establish contact with the spacecraft during several passes over that ground station on Friday. It may be until Monday before another attempt to contact the spacecraft will be made. Contact with Phobos-Grunt had been lost since shortly after its Zenit rocket placed the spacecraft into a temporary parking orbit on November 9. 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 earlier this week. The spacecraft was to travel to Mars and land on one of its moons, Phobos, collecting samples to return to Earth.
Contact with Phobos-Grunt, the Russian Mars mission stranded in Earth orbit for over two weeks, was lost again late this week. An ESA ground station near Perth, Australia, was able to establish a signal with the spacecraft on Wednesday and received limited telemetry from the spacecraft on Thursday. However, ESA said Friday that they were unable to establish contact with the spacecraft during several passes over that ground station on Friday. It may be until Monday before another attempt to contact the spacecraft will be made. Contact with Phobos-Grunt had been lost since shortly after its Zenit rocket placed the spacecraft into a temporary parking orbit on November 9. 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 earlier this week. The spacecraft was to travel to Mars and land on one of its moons, Phobos, collecting samples to return to Earth.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Thursday, June 4
Europe advances Pu-238 supply chain for deep space
ESA — 5:43 am ET (0943 GMT) SpaceX Launches 24 Starlink Satellites from Vandenberg SFB Wednesday Morning
Santa Barbara (CA) Edhat — 5:42 am ET (0942 GMT) U.S. Space Force to build new facility, move acquisition unit and expand officer training course in Colorado, lawmaker says
Aerospace America — 5:39 am ET (0939 GMT) Hatcher takes command at Space Forces Korea
US Space Force — 5:38 am ET (0938 GMT) France opens Space Command to Japanese officer as ties deepen under new road map
Japan Times — 5:38 am ET (0938 GMT) |
