Russia's failed Mars probe Phobos-Grunthas has fallen into the Pacific Ocean, local media reported Sunday.
![]() |
|
The Zenit-2SB rocket, carrying the Phobos-Grunt probe, is seen before its launch at the cosmodrome in Baikonur November 9, 2011. (Xinhua/Reuters File Photo) |
He told Itar-Tass news agency that Russia's space control network was monitoring the process of the falling which happened at 9:45 p.m. Moscow time (1745 GMT).
Earlier, experts said the 14-ton spacecraft carrying 11 tons of toxic rocket fuel might land somewhere in the southern Atlantic.
Most of the debris was expected to burn up in the atmosphere, but 20 to 30 chunks of charred debris, weighing about 200 kg, could make it to the surface, while the toxic fuel would burn in the atmosphere at a height of about 100 km, said Russia's Federal Space Agency Roscosmos earlier in a projection for the crash.
Phobos-Grunt, Russia's most ambitious planetary mission in decades, was launched on Nov. 9 with the aim of exploring one of Mar's two moons, but it became stuck in Earth orbit due to a propulsion failure and radio contact was lost.
VietNamNet/Xinhuanet
