Off to Mars

[Channel Hopper]

And eventually to return samples from the moon Phobos.

Fobus-Grunt, on a Zenith 2S launcher, lifts off from the Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan late tomorrow night.

_http://www.tsenki.com/en/news/news_tsenki/index.php?ELEMENT_ID=85877

You might be able to catch it on this webcam

_http://www.tsenki.com/broadcast/broadcast/live1.php

 

[Vipersan]

Thanks for the Heads up CH ...roughly what time ?
And please ..if anyone finds a sat link ...please post it up..
rgds
VS

 

[Channel Hopper]

From the first link

Live coverage of Fobos-Grunt. Сosmodrome Baikonur.

Start: 22:16:00 November 8, 2011 (Moscow time, MSKS).
End: 01:16:00 November 9, 2011 (Moscow time, MSKS).
Launch time: 00:16:03 November 9, 2011 (Moscow time, MSKS).

So, subtract three hours from the above times

 

[Channel Hopper]

Just over 11 tonnes at launch

[tube]nq2gWd73IsY[/tube]

And what looks like a successful deployment

_http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15631472

 

[Analoguesat]

The boosters failed to fire and P-G is stranded in a perilously low orbit.

-http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15698439

 

[Channel Hopper]

Damn. That's likely to affect the next ISS launch.

Everything looked good a few days back.

 

[sonnetpete]

The boosters failed to fire and P-G is stranded in a perilously low orbit.

Are they now going to redesignate it as Phobos-NoGrunt?

 

[Analoguesat]

Or maybe Phobos-Phut....

 

[Topper]

Get International Rescue to go fire the boosters for them.......

Fobus Grunt is Russian for Phobos-Soil, something this sat is not going get a chance to eat looks like it will be going for a drink instead

 

[sonnetpete]

Get International Rescue to go fire the boosters for them.......

Fobus Grunt is Russian for Phobos-Soil, something this sat is not going get a chance to eat looks like it will be going for a drink instead

Just about to dig out the hard hat in case it decides to make landfall instead of a splashdown!!

 

[Channel Hopper]

Just about to dig out the hard hat in case it decides to make landfall instead of a splashdown!!

Foil underpants already on then. Good man.

 

[Analoguesat]

From something I was reading earlier on the techs have until Nov 21st to get the motors lit & save the mission. After then the probe cant get to Mars.

 

[Channel Hopper]

From something I was reading earlier on the techs have until Nov 21st to get the motors lit & save the mission. After then the probe cant get to Mars.

More urgently, the onboard batteries have a life of around 100 hours without charging from the arrays. If they are not pointing towards the sun, then tomorrow is the last day they have to establish contact before the craft freezes up.

 

[Channel Hopper]

Yesterdays press release confirms the upper stage solar array is tracking the sun correctly, so the batteries are no longer a concern
The issue appears to be the maximum time on each pass than the ground station(s) can send continuous telemetry, and a potential shielding effect of the craft's fuel tanks.


_http://www.russianspaceweb.com/phobos_grunt_kik.html

It does make me wonder if (at the current altitude), some link up via another communications satellite could be persued to extend the time window.

 

[Channel Hopper]

Some reports that the ISS cameras may be used to check on the craft as it flies past at an approximate distance of 130kms later tonight.

 

[Channel Hopper]

Strange goings on ?

_http://www.universetoday.com/91037/phobos-grunts-mysterious-thruster-activation-a-function-of-safe-mode-or-just-good-luck/

 

[Channel Hopper]

Maybe not off to Mars at all

_http://www.universetoday.com/91127/consolation-prize-for-phobos-grunt-experts-consider-possibilities-for-sending-spacecraft-to-moon-or-asteroid/

 

[Vipersan]

Nice to know a consolation prize is a possibility ....but I remain gutted if Mars is off the table ..

 

[Lazarus]

Not just off the table, but possibly into the deep-fat fryer.

 

[Channel Hopper]

As AS mentioned last week, only 24 hours to go before the Mars window is shut.

_http://en.ria.ru/science/20111121/168876438.html