Russians launch Mars moon {Phobos} probe (BBC) {and Chinese Mars orbiter}

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=15610.msg827191#msg827191

NH2501
Full Member
Offline
Posts: 8

Re: LIVE: Zenit-2SB launch with Phobos-Grunt - November 8, 2011
« Reply #451 on: Today at 10:09 AM »

Regarding translations and transliteration.

Fortunately, in Polish we don't have such a problem because of common language group for Polish (West Slavian) and Russian (East Slavian).

In both of them the correct name for Greek god of fear is Fobos (F equals letter and sound like Greek Φ, and ф in Russian!). We also both use noun "grunt" to describe a top/upper layer of soil or ground or contact area between building and ground.

Thanks to all contributors of this topic, by the way.

http://www.russianspaceweb.com/phobos_grunt_launch.html

<snip>

On November 9, at 01:17 Moscow Time, a project representative reported that telemetry from the spacecraft had been received, confirming that onboard batteries had been recharging and the spacecraft had been oriented toward the Sun. Russian military tracking assets and NASA ground facilities were reportedly involved in the effort to track the mission.

<snip>

Although the spacecraft was expected to remain in orbit for at least 10 days before reentering the Earth atmosphere, in just two days it would descent too low for the available propellant to raise its parking orbit and conduct another attempt to enter escape trajectory toward Mars, reports said. However, RIA Novosti quoted an unnamed space official as saying that the spacecraft could "safely" remain in orbit from one week to up to a month. However whether the mission would be safe to resume during this entire period was not specified.

<snip>

November 10 developments

In early hours Moscow Time, the editor of this web site received a message from the director of Moscow-based Space Research Institute, IKI, Lev Zeleny, informing that tracking facilities of the US military provided significant help in establishing exact orbital parameters of the Phobos-Grunt spacecraft. This data was to be used during the previous night to send commands to the spacecraft as it was passing within range of ground control stations. Zeleny reassured that the mission team still had had "few days for reprogramming before the end of the Mars accessibility window for 2011."

<snip>