Author Topic: LIVE: Zenit-2SB launch with Phobos-Grunt - November 8, 2011  (Read 641481 times)

Offline Kaputnik

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Re: LIVE: Zenit-2SB launch with Phobos-Grunt - November 8, 2011
« Reply #20 on: 02/18/2009 03:15 pm »
I cannot say I feel confident about this mission, but I really really wish them all the best luck possible. I'd much rather they delay to 2011 if they need to, rather than rushing for launch this year. It's been thirteen years since a Russian probe to Mars so we can wait a couple more.
This mission seems to have a lot less in common with the earlier Phobos I and II craft than I had expected. Similar rendezvous procedure, but I see it uses a single MOI/descent stage, not a separate propulsion module. The Phobos propulsion module was essentially a Fregat stage, and was used for TMI, MOI, and the orbital manoeuvring burns, being jettisoned just before the closest approach to Phobos.
"I don't care what anything was DESIGNED to do, I care about what it CAN do"- Gene Kranz

Offline johnxx9

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Re: LIVE: Zenit-2SB launch with Phobos-Grunt - November 8, 2011
« Reply #21 on: 02/25/2009 03:36 pm »
Look at this news-----------------

http://www.russia-ic.com/news/show/7805/

I thought that the plan of sending microbial life of Phobos-Grunt was confirmed!!

« Last Edit: 08/16/2011 03:23 am by Ronsmytheiii »

Offline Cbased

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Re: LIVE: Zenit-2SB launch with Phobos-Grunt - November 8, 2011
« Reply #22 on: 04/03/2009 11:59 am »
http://www.roscosmos.ru/NewsDoSele.asp?NEWSID=5823

Looks like Zenit-3M is the new LV for this mission

Offline lbiderman

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Re: LIVE: Zenit-2SB launch with Phobos-Grunt - November 8, 2011
« Reply #23 on: 04/03/2009 01:40 pm »
http://www.roscosmos.ru/NewsDoSele.asp?NEWSID=5823

Looks like Zenit-3M is the new LV for this mission

Wasn´t that pretty much defined like a year or so ago?
"If I wanted to lead a bunch of robots that could only follow orders, I would have joined the Army!"
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Offline Cbased

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Re: LIVE: Zenit-2SB launch with Phobos-Grunt - November 8, 2011
« Reply #24 on: 04/03/2009 10:27 pm »
Wasn´t that pretty much defined like a year or so ago?
Maybe you are right. But for me it was unclear at that stage. They were talking about changing/upgrading LV (especially after the addition of the Chinese probe) but I haven't seen an official announcement.


Offline MKremer

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Re: LIVE: Zenit-2SB launch with Phobos-Grunt - November 8, 2011
« Reply #25 on: 04/04/2009 12:08 am »
Wasn´t that pretty much defined like a year or so ago?
Maybe you are right. But for me it was unclear at that stage. They were talking about changing/upgrading LV (especially after the addition of the Chinese probe) but I haven't seen an official announcement.


Another article that mentions using Zenit here:
http://www.vesti.ru/doc.html?id=244836&cid=10

(via a post on p.14 of the thread here: http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?showtopic=1844 )

Offline Cbased

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Re: LIVE: Zenit-2SB launch with Phobos-Grunt - November 8, 2011
« Reply #26 on: 04/10/2009 08:08 am »
Not good...

http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/apr09/8527

Quote
Russian space officials are about to announce a postponement of Phobos-Grunt’s launch to 2011


Offline Eraser

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Re: LIVE: Zenit-2SB launch with Phobos-Grunt - November 8, 2011
« Reply #27 on: 04/10/2009 10:30 am »
Not good...

http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/apr09/8527

Quote
Russian space officials are about to announce a postponement of Phobos-Grunt’s launch to 2011


As expected...

Offline Olaf

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Re: LIVE: Zenit-2SB launch with Phobos-Grunt - November 8, 2011
« Reply #28 on: 04/10/2009 01:59 pm »
Not good...

http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/apr09/8527

Quote
Russian space officials are about to announce a postponement of Phobos-Grunt’s launch to 2011



As Andrey wrote in another thread last year.

Offline EE Scott

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Re: LIVE: Zenit-2SB launch with Phobos-Grunt - November 8, 2011
« Reply #29 on: 04/10/2009 05:05 pm »
Not good...

http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/apr09/8527

Quote
Russian space officials are about to announce a postponement of Phobos-Grunt’s launch to 2011



Very disappointing.  I suppose 2009 was too good to be true.  I was very much looking forward to this mission.  This was by far the most ambitious, exciting space mission - to me - in a long, long time.  If the linked story is true, I hope it survives the challenges it faces in the next two years.
Scott

Offline Cbased

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Re: LIVE: Zenit-2SB launch with Phobos-Grunt - November 8, 2011
« Reply #30 on: 04/11/2009 02:59 am »
oh, very disappointing indeed! Mind you this is still not official. But if all rumours about the current state of this project are true I would rather have this mission delayed by ~2 years (26 months?) and have better chances of mission success. I personally have big expectations - this is a very interesting and ambitious project.

Offline madscientist197

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Re: LIVE: Zenit-2SB launch with Phobos-Grunt - November 8, 2011
« Reply #31 on: 04/12/2009 11:52 am »
I think this is actually very GOOD news. There was absolutely no chance they could have met the deadline and they would only have ended up with a disaster. This gives me some hope that they might succeed (especially considering that landing on Phobos should be substantially easier than landing on Mars).

2011 is going to be a BIG year for Mars exploration!
« Last Edit: 04/12/2009 11:53 am by madscientist197 »
John

Offline JimO

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Re: LIVE: Zenit-2SB launch with Phobos-Grunt - November 8, 2011
« Reply #32 on: 05/04/2009 06:46 pm »
Phobos mission delayed for two years – source
10:53 GMT, May 04, 2009
     MOSCOW.  May  4  (Interfax-AVN) - The mission of Russia's automatic research  module  Fobos  Grunt  to  the  Martian moon of Phobos is being delayed  for  two  years, as the module is not ready, an informed source told Interfax-AVN on Monday.
     "The  Fobos  Grunt launch is delayed for two years due to technical problems.  The  Lavochkin  Research and Production Center is technically unable to  finish the works by the end of this year. The next convenient time for the launch will be in 2011," he said.
     Financial  problems  have  nothing to do with the delay, the source said. "The  funding  is absolute, but the center lacks skilled personnel to complete the work on time," he noted.
     Meanwhile,  Lavochkin  spokesman Mikhail Sherstnev told Interfax he had no information  about the delay of the mission. "We are on schedule.I have heard nothing about a delay," he said.
     The launch of Fobos Grunt was planned for October 2009. The vehicle is due to reach the Martian orbit in eleven months and land on Phobos in April 2011. It will take samples of Phobos soil and return to Earth. The return is  planned  for  July 2012. The total duration of the mission is three years.
     Scientists  hope  that studies of the Phobos soil will help resolve some mysteries in the formation of the solar system.

Offline glanmor05

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Re: LIVE: Zenit-2SB launch with Phobos-Grunt - November 8, 2011
« Reply #33 on: 05/04/2009 06:52 pm »
Wow, I'd never heard of this mission (not that I'm the most informed individual).  Are there any other soil return missions (I'm assuming this would be a first, other than the moon?) with firm plans out there?
"Through struggles, to the stars."

Offline JimO

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Re: LIVE: Zenit-2SB launch with Phobos-Grunt - November 8, 2011
« Reply #34 on: 05/05/2009 03:57 pm »
Official view: launch is still ON!!

Preparations For Launch Of Phobos-Grunt Probe Proceed As Planned
Moscow ITAR-TASS in English 1307 GMT 05 May 09
   MOSCOW, May 5 (Itar-Tass) -- All preparations for launching the Phobos-Grunt space probe, expected to deliver to the Earth samples of Martian soil, proceed strictly as planned, the general director and general designer of the Lavochkin research and production association (the probe's manufacturer), Georgy Polishchuk, told Itar-Tass on Tuesday.
   "The work schedule is tight, but everything is on time and the question of shifting the launch from 2009 to 2001 has not been discussed anywhere," Polishchuk told Itar-Tass in the wake of media rumors the probe's launch had to be delayed due to a shortage of personnel.
   Polishchuk said the Phobos-Grunt probe, which is on the list of the federal space program extending till 2015, is a number one priority for the Lavochkin Association.
   "At the launch site and at the head office work is in full swing. Cooperation with the Chinese partners proceeds well," he said.
   The Lavochkin Association has already integrated a test sample of the Chinese micro-satellite with the Russian probe, and the flight sample will be delivered to Russia on June 17.

Offline ugordan

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Re: LIVE: Zenit-2SB launch with Phobos-Grunt - November 8, 2011
« Reply #35 on: 05/05/2009 04:27 pm »
Official view: launch is still ON!!

So... who to believe here? I'd like to believe the launch is still on for 2009, but the pessimist in me refuses to.

Offline I14R10

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Re: LIVE: Zenit-2SB launch with Phobos-Grunt - November 8, 2011
« Reply #36 on: 05/05/2009 04:52 pm »
I don't know why but I expected Mars return probe launch sometime around 2015. This is really great mission.

Offline Suzy

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Re: LIVE: Zenit-2SB launch with Phobos-Grunt - November 8, 2011
« Reply #37 on: 05/06/2009 02:30 am »
"Focused on Phobos", Mars Daily, 4/5: doesn't have any confirmation of a launch date, but does have some info about the Russian and other planned missions.
« Last Edit: 05/06/2009 02:30 am by Suzy »

Offline madscientist197

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Re: LIVE: Zenit-2SB launch with Phobos-Grunt - November 8, 2011
« Reply #38 on: 05/06/2009 04:02 am »
Hopefully it manages to produce some interesting science before it fails from lack of testing. I'd really rather it wasn't launched until it was ready.
John

Offline Phillip Clark

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Re: LIVE: Zenit-2SB launch with Phobos-Grunt - November 8, 2011
« Reply #39 on: 05/16/2009 08:37 am »
The Chinese are still reporting that their Yinghuo 1 Mars probe is scheduled to be launched with Fobos-Grunt in October this year.
I've always been crazy but it's kept me from going insane - WJ.

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