MOSCOW, December 4 - RIA Novosti. Two fragments were separated from the Russian interplanetary station "Phobos-Grunt", stuck in low Earth orbit, they are now rapidly losing altitude, according to the U.S. Strategic Command.
Two fragments appeared in the catalog numbered 37 940 NORAD and 37 947 on 29 November and 1 December. The orbit of the second of them is already well below the orbit of the "Phobos-Grunt" its apogee (the "high" point of the orbit) is 167 km and perigee (closest point to Earth orbit) - 147 miles.
Sam "Phobos-Grunt", according to the U.S. military at 07.16 GMT on Monday was in an orbit with an apogee of 298.9 km and a perigee of 206.4 kilometers.
Canadian observer satellites Molchan Ted (Ted Molczan) reported on the site Seesat.org , which, according to his calculations, 37 947 fragment was separated from the "Phobos-Grunt" November 29, at about 16:00 GMT.
"I have not estimated the speed department, but it seems that it was gradual, more like the fact that this fragment has been lost, and not drop the explosion", - he writes.
He estimated that this piece can be as small as about 10 centimeters and weighing about 0.5 kilograms.
"Phobos-Grunt" - the first in 15 years, the Russian interplanetary probe - launched November 9 from Baikonur. However, her engines in time are not logged in, and she could not reach the trajectory flight to Mars and has remained in Earth orbit. Within two weeks of the probe could not be contacted until the station of ESA in Perth, Australia, and then the station at Baikonur not received a signal from the unit.
But subsequent conversations with "Phobos" again proved unsuccessful . On Wednesday night at Perth station tried to convey to his team on board include engine and the rise of the orbit, but to no avail - the specialists have not detected significant changes in the orbit. Were inconclusive, and other attempts to contact the unit from Perth and the other European stations at Maspalomas (Canary Islands, Spain).
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