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Stranded Russian Mars probe sends signal to earth Signal picked up from Russia's stranded Mars probe
(40 minutes later)
By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent, BBC NewsBy Jonathan Amos Science correspondent, BBC News
Contact has finally been made with Russia's troubled Mars mission, says the European Space Agency (Esa).Contact has finally been made with Russia's troubled Mars mission, says the European Space Agency (Esa).
The agency reports that its tracking station in Perth, Australia, picked up a signal from the Phobos-Grunt probe.The agency reports that its tracking station in Perth, Australia, picked up a signal from the Phobos-Grunt probe.
Esa is now working with Russian engineers to see how best to maintain communications with the craft.Esa is now working with Russian engineers to see how best to maintain communications with the craft.
Phobos-Grunt has been stuck in Earth orbit since its launch on 9 November, unable to fire the engine that would take it on to Mars.Phobos-Grunt has been stuck in Earth orbit since its launch on 9 November, unable to fire the engine that would take it on to Mars.
It raises the hope that Russian controllers can establish what is wrong with the spacecraft and fix it.It raises the hope that Russian controllers can establish what is wrong with the spacecraft and fix it.
Phobos-Grunt still has a short window in which to start its journey to Mars before the growing distance from Earth gets too big. Phobos-Grunt still has a short window in which to start its journey to Mars before the growing distance between the Red Planet and Earth gets too big.
The probe was built to land on the Martian moon, Phobos, and scoop up rock to bring back to Earth. The European Space Operations Centre (Esoc) in Darmstadt reports that the contact was made at 2025 GMT on Tuesday. A spokesman said some modifications had been to the 15m dish facility in Perth to improve its chances of getting a signal.
Such a venture should yield fascinating new insights into the origin of the 27km-wide moon and the planet it circles. He confirmed that telemetry from Phobos-Grunt was received, and that this data was passed straight to the Russians.
Diagnose problems
The probe was built to land on the larger of Mars' two moons, Phobos, and scoop up rock to bring back to Earth.
Such a venture should yield fascinating new insights into the origin of the 27km-wide object and the planet it circles.
The mission is also notable because China's first Mars satellite, Yinghuo-1, has been launched piggy-back on the main Russian spacecraft.The mission is also notable because China's first Mars satellite, Yinghuo-1, has been launched piggy-back on the main Russian spacecraft.
The 13-tonne mission was initially lifted into a 350km-high orbit above Earth, with the expectation that the probe's big engine would fire twice - first, to raise that orbit, and, second, to set course for Mars.
But for some reason, those engine burns never happened, and Phobos-Grunt has continued to circle the Earth. All efforts to talk with it have failed - until now.
Fortunately, the probe has managed to maintain itself in a stable condition. The perigee of its elliptical orbit (the closest point it comes to Earth) has actually risen slightly, and is just above 200km.
If engineers can keep a communication line open to the craft, they can begin to diagnose its problems.
The best scenario is that the issues are related to a software anomaly, and that engineers can then upload new commands.
But if the fault lies in a hardware malfunction, Phobos-Grunt may still be beyond hope.