Phobos-Grunt Mission

[rodsky]

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Great launch! Now first stage has separated! Go go go F-G!



-RODION

[rodsky]

Phobos-Grunt now in parking orbit. It will orbit the earth twice in the next two hours, then burn it's engine so that it heads off for Mars/Phobos. Incidentally it will pass over the Philippines in about an hour from now, before its final burn to head for Mars.

Replay of launch here: Nov. 8, 2016 UTC / 3:16pm EST / 5:16 JST - Zenit-2SB carrying Fobos-Grunt & Yinghuo-1. - YouTube

-RODION

[rodsky]

A NOT-SO-GOOD UPDATE:

Phobos-Grunt inexplicably went to "safe-mode" prior to the two burns it needs to head to Mars Engineers are trying to determine if the series of burns can still be redone, so that the mission can be salvaged...Mars curse strikes again? Paita.

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2011/...ion-to-phobos/

http://spaceflightnow.com/

-RODION

[ghostie2472]

Here's a NOT-REALLY-GOOD update.

Russian Phobos-Grunt Mars Probe Stuck in Earth Orbit After Launch - ABC News

[warsucks]

unsa na update ani?..

[rodsky]

Technically, the probe is still "alive" but is in a highly elliptical orbit after 2 burn failures. Engineers are trying daily to find ways to command the spacecraft (after software failure) to initiate the burn, in the hopes of salvaging the mission. However, the window of opportunity for a good Mars transfer burn is getting smaller and smaller everyday and may end in a week's time.

Hourly updates here (can be quite technical, you must have good knowledge of orbital mechanics and some engineering background to understand the discussions): LIVE: Fobos-Grunt Troubleshooting Latest (Part 2)

-RODION

[rodsky]

This is a significant update, thus the bump up--looks like FG is still alive. Interesting (even somewhat fishy) that they were able to contact it now, AFTER the initial Mars burn window has closed, are they going to divert the probe somewhere else?

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BBC News - Signal picked up from Russia's stranded Mars probe

-RODION

[gareb]

Interesting (even somewhat fishy) that they were able to contact it now, AFTER the initial Mars burn window has closed, are they going to divert the probe somewhere else?

prime ingredients for speculations of yet another Russian space conspiracy. *facepalm* if something like that ever surfaces anywhere, i'd hate to say they did it to themselves.

[Ityan]

Hmmm.. Maybe they were aiming for something else in the first place. Its possible that the burn failures was just a drama

[makal34]

nka landing na ni sa mars?