Launch News (Failure) Phobos-Grunt and YingHuo-1 atop Zenit-2 on November 8/9, 2011

[SiberianTiger]

Breaking news here:
http://www.interfax.ru/politics/txt.asp?id=218260

November 24, 2011 17:40

Moscow. November 24. INTERFAX.RU - Russian ground tracking station in Baikonur (Kazakhstan) has established communications with Russian interplanetary probe Phobos-Grunt that has stuck in Earth's orbit and managed to receive telemetry information from it, told a source from Baikonur.

"About an hour (ago or p.m. -???) our station has been able to make a link with the spacecraft and take telemetry readings. We have begun decoding the data. So far it's going fine" - he told us.

Roscosmos have confirmed the information of establishing communication to Phobos-Grunt. "A signal from the spacecraft and part of telemetry are received. At present moment, our specialists are working with that data", tol us Alexey Kuznetsov, head of the agency's press service.

upd: in the same message:
Onboard computer of Phobos-Grunt is working and powered enough for its function. In the nearest possibility, Baikonur will repeat communicating to the probe.

 

[SiberianTiger]

BTW, somebody has made a twitter channel and makes humorous tweets on behalf of PhG:
http://twitter.com/#!/FobosGrunt/

:lol:

 

[IronRain]

I have no idea what she's is talking about (maybe one of our Russian friends can help us) but this is what the descriptions says:

During the night from November 22 to November 23 Moscow Time, Phobos-Grunt finally communicated with a ground station in Perth, Australia, the European Space Agency, ESA, which operates the facility, announced. The contact was apparently established during the first of five passes of the spacecraft over Perth from 00:25 to 01:11 Moscow Time. According to ESA, the critical communication session took place from 20:21 to 20:28 GMT on November 22, as the Perth station transmitted telecommands provided by NPO Lavochkin. A small, side antenna in Perth with a diameter of only 1.3 meters and rigged with a special cone was used to send a weak three-watt signal to the spacecraft, to turn on its transmitter. Due to technical limitations of the ground station in Perth, it could only receive a carrier signal from the spacecraft containing no telemetry. Still, the reception of the signal confirmed that at least some radio systems onboard had been operational and provided hope that a full control over the mission could be established. Data received from Phobos-Grunt was then transmitted from Perth to Russian mission controllers via ESA's Space Operations Centre, Darmstadt, Germany, for analysis.

Also mentioned:

GoogleSatTrack
http://www.lizard-tail.com/isana/tracking/?target=phobos_grunt

But I doubt how reliable it is..

 

[N_Molson]

Good, it looks like that probe just decided to awake.

 

[SiberianTiger]

I have no idea what she's is talking about

Basically the same thing. In the end she said that it's doubful the probe is now able to fly to Mars, but probably it still can be directed to an asteroid.

 

[SiberianTiger]

http://ria.ru/science/20111124/497098161.html

Russian specialists have decoded telemetry information from Phobos-Grunt

19:38 24/11/2011

MOSCOW, Nov 24 - RIA Novosti. The telemetry data obtained by Russian specialists from Phobos-Grunt spacecraft have been decoded. This will help to determine what's going wrong aboard the spacecraft, told RIA Novosti a source in rocket and space industry.

Russian ground station at Baikonur has received a transmission from the spacecraft containing a part of telemetry information this Thursday. The data which had been received by ESA station in Perth earlier this day could not be decoded.

"According to my information, the specialists were able to decode it this time. It's a quality information, not a faulty one like we had from Australia" - the source said.

The telemetry data allowed to obtain some data on the spacecraft status.

WHAT DATA!? :beathead:

 

[N_Molson]

The least we can say is that they don't play transparency... :blink:

 

[orb]

WHAT DATA!? :beathead:

RIA Novosti: Data beamed from Russia Mars probe ‘deciphered’:

{...}

“Some data” on the spacecraft’s condition were obtained, but it was not yet clear how “functional” it was, the source said.

{...}

 

[SiberianTiger]

Wait, what?.. :blink:

http://ria.ru/science/20111124/497121033.html

Phobos-Grunt will be deorbited if its engines can be operated

20:19 24/11/2011

MOSCOW, Nov 24th - RIA Novosti. Russian specialists are ready to calculate the deorbiting trajectory and perform removal of Phobos-Grunt station from low Earth's orbit only in the case when its engines can be operated, told RIA Novosti one of the ballisticians.

"Speaking that deorbiting of Phobos-Grunt is safe will only be possible when we regain control over the propulsion unit. It's not enough just to engage thrusters for braking: we have to do that in a special interval of time, to create a useful deorbiting change of speed" - he said.

[...]

He called for a cautious optimism with relation to information of receiving the first telemetry data.

"We have received telemetry from the spacecraft, but it only confirms that radio equipment is working. However, at this point, amount of our information and its quality is not enough to understand what's happening aboard Phobos-Grunt," concluded the specialist.

Dear , no!

They have already decided its fate!
I'm growing ready to support the view that since insurance for PhG only covers period before Trans-Mars Injection, it's vital for Roscosmos not to allow it to happen...

 

[N_Molson]

Mmh, wait and see... looks like that they are changing their opinions 3 times / day about this Probe...

 

[SiberianTiger]

Mmh, wait and see... looks like that they are changing their opinions 3 times / day about this Probe...

Well, at the same time, if I were in shoes of these controllers, I should also have considered deorbiting as plan "A" option in these circumstances. Hopefully, they have also plans "B" and "C" up their sleeve.

 

[N_Molson]

Yes, that's my opinion too : first consider the emergency / safety issues, then the scientific opportunities.

 

[Ghostrider]

Yes, that's my opinion too : first consider the emergency / safety issues, then the scientific opportunities.

Nah. Science first. Anyone has the coords for Bart Sibrel's home?

 

[N_Molson]

Is this going to be the "Moon Race" and the Apollo 11 of the Probes ? :blink:

Mobile science laboratory heading for Mars on Saturday

 

[Codz]

Is this going to be the "Moon Race" and the Apollo 11 of the Probes ? :blink:

Mobile science laboratory heading for Mars on Saturday

Maybe Curiosity will send Phobos-Grunt a postcard?

 

[Urwumpe]

Yes, that's my opinion too : first consider the emergency / safety issues, then the scientific opportunities.

I see it differently there. if there is a realistic alternative to a controlled deorbit, it should be reinforced, even if deorbiting should be investigated as "fall back solution". Just saying "If we have a properly working probe again, we will deorbit it", is not acceptable.

The question is: What can be done with Fobos-Grunt when it is recovered? The fuel is likely no longer enough for a proper mars transfer, because of the closing window. I would personally select a large asteroid as goal.

 

[N_Molson]

Just saying "If we have a properly working probe again, we will deorbit it", is not acceptable.

Not what I meant

 

[Jarvitä]

The question is: What can be done with Fobos-Grunt when it is recovered? The fuel is likely no longer enough for a proper mars transfer, because of the closing window. I would personally select a large asteroid as goal.

I hear [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3753_Cruithne"]Cruithne[/ame]'s lovely this time of the year.

 

[Arrowstar]

Has any more information regarding the status of FG been posted? What do we know of the health of the vehicle?

 

[SiberianTiger]

The question is: What can be done with Fobos-Grunt when it is recovered? The fuel is likely no longer enough for a proper mars transfer, because of the closing window. I would personally select a large asteroid as goal.

Mars trip can be cheaper in terms of the required delta-V because Mars' gravity well is essential for insertion into it's orbit. An asteroid must be in a very favourable ballistic conditions to make up a proper destination.