Enhanced-color view of Phobos obtained by Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on March 23, 2008. Stickney crater, the largest, is on the right side.
The Russian mission to visit and sample the tiny Martian moon Phobos may have already run into a problem so big it threatens to sink the entire effort. After reaching low earth orbit, the kick stage of the rocket failed to fire on time, leaving the spacecraft unable to break orbit and head for Mars:
(BBC) — If the problem is simply a software issue and engineers can upload new commands, they have a chance of rescuing the mission. If the fault lies in a hardware malfunction, Phobos-Grunt may well be doomed. Onboard battery power provides just a short window in which to make any corrections.
Hurry Russians! Phobos is going to break up in another 6 or 7 million years.
I can’t begin to imagine the level of stress when something like this occurs. It’s not like they can just pull it back into the shop, refrib the gonkulators, and put it back up there. In the interest of science (and general coolness) I hope they can resolve the problem in time.
Steve