Phobos-Grunt reentry predicted for mid-January
Posted: Wed, Jan 4, 2012, 1:35 PM ET (1835 GMT)
Russian officials said Wednesday they now expect the Phobos-Grunt spacecraft, launched two months ago on a mission to Mars, to reenter on or around January 15 after being stranded in Earth orbit. Those officials said some pieces of the spacecraft would survive reentry and land on Earth, but it was too soon to predict exactly when and where the reentry would take place. Phobos-Grunt was launched in November to go to Mars and return samples from the Martian moon of Phobos, but the spacecraft failed to leave Earth orbit because of a technical problem. Efforts to restore communications with and control of the spacecraft ended in December.
Russian officials said Wednesday they now expect the Phobos-Grunt spacecraft, launched two months ago on a mission to Mars, to reenter on or around January 15 after being stranded in Earth orbit. Those officials said some pieces of the spacecraft would survive reentry and land on Earth, but it was too soon to predict exactly when and where the reentry would take place. Phobos-Grunt was launched in November to go to Mars and return samples from the Martian moon of Phobos, but the spacecraft failed to leave Earth orbit because of a technical problem. Efforts to restore communications with and control of the spacecraft ended in December.
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