CAPE CANAVERAL, FL — The failed Russian Mars moon probe, Phobos-Grunt, is expected to fall to earth before noon E.S.T. today, according to the Russian Federal Space Agency Roscosmos.
Phobos-Grunt was intended to perform a research mission on Phobos, one of Mar’s moons.
Phobos-Grunt was launched on November 8, 2011 from Baikonur Cosmodrome, but failed to escape Earth’s orbit as intended.
The spacecraft can be easily seen with the naked eye as it passes overhead the night time areas of the Earth.
Like other spacecraft which recently fell to the earth, the exact time of re-entry in uncertain and is dependent on slight drag in the far reaches of the Earth’s upper atmosphere, which can be affected by solar activity.
IMAGE CREDIT: NASA