Russian Spacecraft from Mars Expected to Crash Land on Earth Soon

Russian Spacecraft from Mars Expected to Crash Land on Earth Soon

Russian space agency revealed that a Russian spacecraft from a moon of Mars will be back next month with no pose or sign of danger contamination with its toxic fuel and radioactive material on board.

Further, Russian space agency stated that the unmanned Phobos-Ground spacecraft will crash down to Earth sometime in Jan. 6 and Jan. 19. According to Roscosmos, between 20 and 30 fragments of the probe weighing up to 200 kilograms (440 pounds) will survive the hard plunge and shower the Earth's surface. Probe’s fragment may scatter anywhere between 51.4 degrees north to 51.4 degrees south, which would include most of land surface.

According to sources, Phobos-Ground weighs 13.2 metric tons (14.6 tons), which includes 11 metric tons (12 tons) of highly toxic fuel. Experts said that if the toxic fuel has frozen, some could survive entry into Earth and may pose a serious threat. However, Roscosmos assured that all toxic fuel will burn on re-entry some 100 kilometers (330,000 feet) above the ground and pose no danger.

This failed mission is the latest in the recent launches of Russia concerning the condition of the country's space industries. Russian space agency has blamed the failures on obsolete equipment and an aging workforce.

Posted by James Fried on Saturday December 17 2011, 1:25 PM EDT. Ref: CNN. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0