If you’d begun to build a fallout shelter to protect you from the incoming failed Russian probe Phobos-Grunt and it’s potential Australian crash site, rest easy. The $US165 million spacecraft crashed back to earth yesterday, landing in the Pacific ocean off the coast of Chile.
The 14.5-tonne spacecraft has spent the past two months floating around in orbit after failing to fire its rockets to send it on its way to Mars’ moon Phobos. While it’s unclear how much of the spacecraft actually made it all the way back down to earth, the vast majority is believed to have burnt up in re-entry.
While it’s a relief the probe landed harmlessly in the ocean, you can’t help but think that it was one hell of a way to blow $165 million…
[Space]