Author Topic: Doomed Mars Probe Photographed (Read 5701 times)

Conrad · « **on:** January 05, 2012, 11:26:59 AM »

http://spaceweather.com/

Russia's Mars probe, Phobos-Grunt (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fobos-Grunt), has been stranded in Earth orbit since a main engine failure in early November. The spacecraft is now sinking back into Earth's atmosphere, with re-entry expected in mid-January. "On New Year's Day, I traveled to the French Riviera (850km from home) to record Phobos-Grunt's last passage over France," says astrophotographer Thierry Legault. This is the picture he took through a 14-inch telescope:

"It appears that the satellite is moving backwards with its solar panels deployed but not receiving the sunlight," notes Legault. "This may explain why Phobos-Grunt had no energy to communicate with Earth."

An 80-second video shows the probe soaring almost directly above Legault's observing site on the Plateau de Calern. "At the scale of the video the satellite would cross your screen in about 1/30s," he says.

Phobos Grunt on New Year's Day

While a telescope is required to see the outlines of the spacecraft, the human eye alone is sufficient to see Phobos-Grunt as a speck of light in the night sky. On high passes, it glows almost as brightly as a first magnitude star. Check SpaceWeather's online Satellite Tracker or your smartphone for flyby times.

It seems that Chicken Little was right after all.

jimmymac · « **Reply #1 on:** January 05, 2012, 04:23:46 PM »

What a waste. Failures suk.

Outback_Jon · « **Reply #2 on:** January 05, 2012, 07:02:16 PM »

Quote from: Conrad on January 05, 2012, 11:26:59 AM

"It appears that the satellite is moving backwards with its solar panels deployed but not receiving the sunlight," notes Legault. "This may explain why Phobos-Grunt had no energy to communicate with Earth."

Have someone in the ISS shine a spotlight on it as it goes by.

Ron Dawg · « **Reply #3 on:** January 05, 2012, 08:13:10 PM »

Sometimes, I just feel sorry for the Russians.

VirginiaJim · « **Reply #4 on:** January 06, 2012, 04:18:50 AM »

I don't.

gPink · « **Reply #5 on:** January 06, 2012, 04:38:31 AM »

I'm sure our astronauts like flying in the russkies tin cans. Not.

Conrad · « **Reply #6 on:** January 06, 2012, 04:43:00 AM »

Quote from: Ron Dawg on January 05, 2012, 08:13:10 PM

Sometimes, I just feel sorry for the Russians.

I'll bet that what ever when wrong it wasn't like what NASA did when they got mixed up between metric and SAE and lost one of our Mars rovers.

gPink · « **Reply #7 on:** January 06, 2012, 04:58:51 AM »

There is that.

roadkoan · « **Reply #8 on:** January 06, 2012, 05:03:04 AM »

Quote from: Conrad on January 06, 2012, 04:43:00 AM

I'll bet that what ever when wrong it wasn't like what NASA did when they got mixed up between metric and SAE and lost one of our Mars rovers.

Yea, happens to the best of us.

Quote from: gPink on January 06, 2012, 04:38:31 AM

I'm sure our astronauts like flying in the russkies tin cans. Not.

Its gotta be extra "thrilling". Like riding the amusement park rides at one of the fly-by-night county fair midways. Nothing to do but hope you got lucky and your ride was set up by one of the more sober crews...

Ron Dawg · « **Reply #9 on:** January 06, 2012, 01:52:00 PM »

I don't feel sorry for them as a rule, but sometimes they just seem like the "Bad News Bears" as a nation and just can't seem to keep from screwing up the little stuff. I know a few folks like that.

I don't know if a little success would make them feel better about themselves as a nation and they'd behave better, or if that would just make them insufferable. It's like they have a national inferiority complex they just can't shake.

I can imagine some poor sap named Ivaneski hitting the "rotate" button instead of the "stablize" button or the like and then "Oh Crapski, it's flying backwards..."

Now he's out in Siberia neutering Polar Bears with a pocket knife.

Conrad · « **Reply #10 on:** January 06, 2012, 01:59:19 PM »

Quote from: Ron Dawg on January 06, 2012, 01:52:00 PM

I can imagine some poor sap named Ivaneski hitting the "rotate" button instead of the "stablize" button or the like and then "Oh Crapski, it's flying backwards..."

Now he's out in Siberia neutering Polar Bears with a pocket knife.

Two Skies · « **Reply #11 on:** January 07, 2012, 02:16:04 PM »

When I read this, I was thinking that the Mars Orbiter had photographed some other probe that crashed (like the one mentioned above where someone screwed up the math, hence dooming the probe to oblivion, or perhaps the Mars Rover that became icebound).

http://www.cse.ohio-state.edu/sce/now/mars-orbiter.html

I didn't know the Russians recently had a bad day with one, and it was stuck in orbit... thanks for the heads up.

graham downunder · « **Reply #12 on:** January 07, 2012, 02:45:22 PM »

Mistakes made are not uncommon even the self destruct button dose not work.

Funny how a powerfull country has gone back to a country run by criminals while the people still suffer it's just not reported .Ask Russian people what happened to their Social Securty sytem .

r2t2 · « **Reply #13 on:** January 08, 2012, 10:15:05 PM »

Conrad · « **Reply #14 on:** January 09, 2012, 04:46:37 AM »

HipolitoHudak · « **Reply #15 on:** February 27, 2014, 11:14:11 PM »

Quote from: Conrad on January 05, 2012, 11:26:59 AM

http://spaceweather.com/

Russia's Mars probe, Phobos-Grunt (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fobos-Grunt), has been stranded in Earth orbit since a main engine failure in early November. The spacecraft is now sinking back into Earth's atmosphere, with re-entry expected in mid-January. "On New Year's Day, I traveled to the French Riviera (850km from home) to record Phobos-Grunt's last passage over France," says astrophotographer Thierry Legault. This is the picture he took through a 14-inch telescope:

"It appears that the satellite is moving backwards with its solar kits deployed but not receiving the sunlight," notes Legault. "This may explain why Phobos-Grunt had no energy to communicate with Earth."

An 80-second video shows the probe soaring almost directly above Legault's observing site on the Plateau de Calern. "At the scale of the video the satellite would cross your screen in about 1/30s," he says.

Phobos Grunt on New Year's Day

While a telescope is required to see the outlines of the spacecraft, the human eye alone is sufficient to see Phobos-Grunt as a speck of light in the night sky. On high passes, it glows almost as brightly as a first magnitude star. Check SpaceWeather's online Satellite Tracker or your smartphone for flyby times.

It seems that Chicken Little was right after all.

Nothing more than wastage of money.. This money must be utilized in making better life on our planet..

gPink · « **Reply #16 on:** February 28, 2014, 04:01:00 AM »

Maybe you should talk to Putin about closing down the Russian Space Station,too. We sure don't need those wasteful communication satellites. And who really needs gps and weather satellites. Shut them down too.

What in your opinion would constitute a better life and who should be the primary beneficiary?

Conrad · « **Reply #17 on:** February 28, 2014, 04:55:37 AM »

VirginiaJim · « **Reply #18 on:** February 28, 2014, 04:58:07 AM »

Quote from: gPink on February 28, 2014, 04:01:00 AM

Maybe you should talk to Putin about closing down the Russian Space Station,too. We sure don't need those wasteful communication satellites. And who really needs gps and weather satellites. Shut them down too.

What in your opinion would constitute a better life and who should be the primary beneficiary?

I wouldn't mind being the primary beneficiary...send your space dollars to me.

Conrad · « **Reply #19 on:** February 28, 2014, 05:08:37 AM »

Quote from: VirginiaJim on February 28, 2014, 04:58:07 AM

I wouldn't mind being the primary beneficiary...send your space dollars to me.

No dollars but Bugs is bringing you a lil something...

Q-36 Space Modulator

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Author Topic: Doomed Mars Probe Photographed (Read 5701 times)