Russian space engineers work to prepare the unmanned Phobos-Grunt probe on the Baikonur Cosmodrome, in Kazakhstan. Picture: AP, Supplied Source: AP
- Russian space probe gets stuck in Earth's orbit
- Failed to�reach designated flying trajectory after glitch
- Space agency has three days to fix the problem
RUSSIA'S Phobos-Grunt space probe has failed to take its planned trajectory towards Mars and is stuck in an Earth orbit, the country's space agency said, adding it now had three days to try to fix the problem, AFP reported.
"We have three days while the batteries are still working," said Roscosmos chief Vladimir Popovkin. "I would not say it's a failure. It's a non-standard situation, but it is a working situation."
The launch vehicle carrying the Phobos-Grunt probe lifted off successfully from a space center in Kazakhstan at 12.16am Moscow time, but failed to use its own booster to reach the designated flying trajectory, Mr Popovkin told RIA Novosti.
"It is a complex trajectory and the on-board computers could have simply failed to send a 'switch on' command to the engine," he said.
"We will attempt to reboot the program. The spacecraft is currently on a support orbit, the fuel tanks have not been jettisoned, and the fuel has not been spent."
The space probe, worth $163 million, is designed to land on the surface of Phobos -- one of Mars' two moons -- and transmit data from near Mars. It is also carrying a Chinese small-sized research satellite, the Yinghuo-1, which China's space program hopes will eventually orbit Mars, the Xinhua news agency reported.
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