Phobos-Grunt failed due to plasma formation

PanARMENIAN.Net - A commission investigating the main reasons behind the failure of the Phobos-Grunt Mars probe has presented the results of its inquiry to the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), according to RT.com.

Interfax on Thursday, Jan 26, quoted a source in the space industry as saying that “the station was most likely influenced by a plasma formation in the Earth's magnetosphere.”

The dates of the Phobos-Grunt launch (November 9) and of the powerful X-class solar flare (November 4) had been analyzed. The abnormal solar activity had continued for ten days. It could have affected the functioning of the Phobos-Grunt probe, the commission concluded.

Meanwhile, NASA has refused to participate in an experiment designed to show if U.S. radars could have had an impact on Phobos-Grunt probe.

“Roscosmos filed an official request to the U.S. side to participate in the investigation, but they refused,” the deputy head of the country’s space agency, Roscosmos, Anatoly Shylov said.