description Fobos-Grunt Overview
Fobos-Grunt, also written Phobos-Grunt, was a Russian interplanetary spacecraft launched on 8 November 2011 to study and return a sample from Phobos, one of Mars's moons. The spacecraft reached low Earth orbit, but its propulsion stage failed to perform the burns needed to begin the journey to Mars, leaving it stranded around Earth. It lost contact after launch and reentered Earth's atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean in January 2012, so no Phobos sample was returned.
help Fobos-Grunt FAQ
What was Fobos-Grunt designed to study?
Fobos-Grunt was designed to study Phobos, one of Mars's moons, and return a sample to Earth. The mission also carried other scientific payloads, including the Chinese Yinghuo-1 Mars orbiter.
When was Fobos-Grunt launched?
The spacecraft launched on 8 November 2011. It reached low Earth orbit but did not begin its planned journey to Mars.
Why did Fobos-Grunt fail?
Its propulsion stage failed to perform the burns needed to leave Earth orbit. The spacecraft therefore remained stranded in low Earth orbit instead of traveling to Phobos.
Did Fobos-Grunt return a Phobos sample?
No. Because the spacecraft never departed Earth orbit for Mars, it could not reach Phobos or return a sample. The planned sample-return mission therefore ended before its interplanetary phase.
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