SPACE NEWS FROM THE WIRES/

Space News Looks at Your World on the Web ...

MORE FROM THE WIRES/

Thu, 19 January, 2012 | Submitted by: Aviation Week | in commentaries

Phobos-Grunt Links Removed from U.S. Military Tracking Site [Aviation Week]

Illustration of Phobos-Grunt approaching Phobos and Mars. Credit: Roscosmos artist's conception Enlarge Image

The U.S. military broke from its standard practice by removing links to data tracking Russia’s failed Phobos-Grunt Mars moon probe from its Space Track website, Aviation Week reported Jan. 18.

Instead of including final re-entry data for the defunct probe, which plunged into the Pacific Ocean on Jan. 15, the public website, managed by U.S. Strategic Command, posted only a vague statement that Phobos-Grunt “decayed within the forecast period of 16:59-17:47” GMT.

The data removal comes as some in Russia have suggested the United States may be responsible for Phobos-Grunt’s failure. NASA denied a Russia claim that its asteroid tracking radar may have disabled the spacecraft.

READ IT AT: [Aviation Week]

Surveillance Suspected as Spacecraft’s Main Role [New York Times]

SUGGEST A STORY/