The Russian space probe Phobos-Grunt, which translates to "Phobos-Soil," launched on a Zenit rocket from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. However, instead of on its way to Mars's moon Phobos, the probe is stuck in Earth orbit.
What went wrong?
As of this writing, Russian technicians are not certain. Soon after launch, Russian ground control lost communications with the space craft. When it was reestablished it was determined that Phobos-Grunt was in low Earth orbit rather than on a trajectory to Mars. Two rocket burns, one that would have increased the probe's orbit around the Earth and another that would have sent it on its way to Mars, did not occur. The Russians surmise that there are two possibilities, a software or a hardware glitch. If the problem is the former, then it is possible that corrective code could be uploaded to the space craft and it could still be sent on its way. If the latter, then the space craft is lost and the mission a failure before it began. The Russians have three days to fix the problem before the batteries on Phobos-Grunt run out.
What was Phobos-Grunt supposed to accomplish?
The probe was to touch down on Phobos, one of the moons of Mars, retrieve some soil and rock samples, and then return them to Earth for analysis. It also carried a small, Chinese made probe which would remain behind in orbit around Mars, constituting that country's first interplanetary robotic mission.
Why is this mission important to Russia?
Besides the scientific data that Phobos-Grunt would garner, a successful planetary mission would constitute Russia's return as a major space power. The mission is considered very ambitious, too ambitious in fact by the reckoning of some analysts for a small, underfunded space program as Russia has. Russia has not attempted a planetary mission since 1996, when a Mars probe also failed to leave Earth orbit. A previous Russian probe to Phobos, Phobos 2, managed to approach the Martian moon and make some readings before failing.
Why Phobos in particular?
Phobos is believed to contain volatiles, including water, which could prove useful for future Mars explorers. In addition it is the easiest asteroid like body that could be access from Earth, since the launch window to Mars occurs once every 26 months rather than once every few years for an Earth approaching asteroid. Some NASA planning suggests that a mission to one of the Martian moons might be a good precursor mission to an actual Mars landing.
Mark R. Whittington is the author of Children of Apollo and The Last Moonwalker. He has written on space subjects for a variety of periodicals, including The Houston Chronicle, The Washington Post, USA Today, the L.A. Times, and The Weekly Standard.
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