Russians Strongly Hint At American Cause for Phobos-Grunt Failure
Shady side of Earth: Western trace in space probe’s failure?, Russia Today
“In an interview to the Russian newspaper Izvestia, head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, Vladimir Popovkin, said that intended influence on the probe cannot be completely excluded. “I do not want to blame anyone, but these days there are very powerful means to influence space vehicles,” he told the newspaper, adding that it is still unclear why the probe’s engine failed to start in the first place. … We do not understand frequent failures of our space vehicles when they fly over the shadow, for Russia, part of the Earth,” Popovkin said. “Right there we are unable to see the vehicle and to receive its telemetry.”
Did US ‘climate weapon’ knock-out Russian probe?, Russia Today
“Meanwhile, a retired Russian general believes that the glitch which prevented Phobos-Grunt from carrying out its space mission was caused by American radar sites in Alaska. General-Lieutenant Nikolay Rodionov, who used to command the country’s ballistic missile early warning system, told Interfax that “the powerful electromagnetic radiation of those sites may have affected the control system of the interplanetary probe.”
Russia’s Space Chief Says Failures May Be Sabotage, AP
“James Oberg, a NASA veteran who has written books on the Russian space program and now works as a space consultant, said Popovkin’s comments were a sad example of the Russian cultural instinct to ‘blame foreigners.’ “It’s a feature of space launch trajectories that orbital adjustments must be made halfway around the first orbit to circularize and stabilize subsequent orbits,” Oberg said in e-mailed comments. “The Russians must know that simple geography — not evildoers lurking in shadows — dictate where their communications ‘blind spots’ are. But the urge to shift blame seems strong,” he said.”
The U.S. Didn’t Shoot Down Russia’s Mars Probe. But It Could Have, Slate
“Popovkin’s speculation is almost certainly incorrect–and, I suspect, was likely a bit of deliberate nationalist pandering, perhaps not meant to be taken seriously. But there are two reasons it’s worrisome. The first is that it’s hard to prove he’s wrong, so when the next, more militarily useful, spacecraft fails, the accusation can resurface. The other is that Popovkin, and the Sputniks he controls, are the only way to get American astronauts to the International Space Station.”
Don’t pass the buck, Roskosmos!, RIA Novosti
“Vague insinuations of sabotage are a dogwhistle for those who are more than eager to write off any such failure on the work of Russia’s enemies abroad. Unfortunately for Popovkin, any thinking person will immediately see his words for what they are – without a concrete theory as to how and why Phobos-Grunt may have been sabotaged, this looks to be a classic means of passing the buck.”
“Russians Hint At American Cause for Phobos-Grunt Failure”
ROFLOL!
I don’t know if we have this ability, but I sure do like the idea that they THINK we do.
What seems legit? That a radar that was turned off when Phobos-Grunt passed over some 14 hours after launch caused it to fail?
He’s referring to an internet meme..
Kinda reminds you of when some Russians initially blamed the US for sinking the Kursk or Pres. Hugo Chavez blaming the US for the Haiti Earthquake and various South American leaders being afflicted with cancers.
Just too silly for words.
Stand by for Russian restart of the cold war in 3… 2… 1…
Didn’t an astronomer get a picture of a showing it was flying backwards (without signs of tumbling?)
Didn’t Polyus and Valentina Tereshkowa’s spacecraft also wind up backwards?
In America, boxes for satellites say “This side up ^”. In Soviet Russia, they can’t afford boxes!
Glad to know HAARP has far-over-the-horizon capabilities…. Ph-G is in a 200×350 51 degree orbit, and HAARP is at 61 degrees.
Unless of course HAARP can secretly move at night when nobody is watching and then sneak back to its “public” location before the sun comes up. or something.
Shrug.
Look a flying pig…
I’m surprised they’re ruling out some kind of Bigfoot-instigated sabotage.
What do you do if there is nobody left to blame for your failures, and your job is on the line ? Well, you find someone else to blame ..
“…the powerful electromagnetic radiation of those sites…” Even IF it was “… intended influence on the probe …”, What about the various forms of radiation in our Solar System? You think they would had better shielding to protect against radiation.
I think they are referring to the HAARP project.High-Frequency-Active-Auroral-Research-Program. 3.6 megawatts is nothing to shake a stick at (or stick a spacecraft IN).
HAARP operates from a navy base, I believe. So if it has the ability to fry an interplanetary probe, I guess the Navy keeps all of it airplanes well away from the site. So, how do they get supplies delivered and personnel rotated? Dog sled? I guess our Russian friend didn’t think this one through.Steve
That’s kind of like saying that you cannot fly airplanes into Puerto Rico because Arecibo might knock them down. Both of those two radio transmission facilities are capable of knocking down a plane. The airspace is restricted when the transmitter is operational. And I am pretty sure that the HAARP facility has radars to warn them if a plane violates their airspace. And for all those people commenting on “radiation” in deep space. We are talking apples & oranges. The radiation in space is cosmic rays and solar flares. Radar sites emit electromagnetic waves “Radio waves”. We absolutely have to work hard to make spacecraft NOT susceptible to RF, that’s why we test the heck out of them on the ground.
Stuart,
I follow what you’re saying, but I’m feeling silly today, so I’ve considered the possibility that their probe was overloaded by passing beneath a satellite streaming endless reruns of I Love Lucy and it simply cracked up.
Steve
I was, of course, being facetious in my earlier post. It would be much easier just to get Congress to write legislation outlawing the existence of radiation in space, which would make everything dandy, for about eight minutes.Steve
Electromagnetic radiation? OF a RADAR site? Strong enough to fry the electronics in an interplanetary spacecraft designed to operate in the intense radiation environment of space?
While we know that EMP and radiation can harm avionics, it’s hard to believe that Phobos-Grunt, headed for interplanetary space, was not hardened against both. I’m not convinced; I suspect this is just an attempt to displace blame.
In other geopolitical scenarios and diplomatic circumstances , this is called ” Saving Face”. By externalizing the homeland’s shortcomings and deflecting the blame to an outside ‘ threat ‘ , the central authorities solve two problems at once.
As always, be wary of what the Russians say but watch carefully what the Russians do. There have been so many failures of Russian military and civilian rocketry attempts of late that undoubtedly heads will roll when causes become known. Whose head will tell us all we need to know. Blaming the US is just too convenient without anything presented to back that up.
Why would we want to purposely sabotage a Russian Mars probe ? I can think of no reason . But I do know that Russia’s space programs are woefully underfunded, the morale low, and quality control grown sloppy. Look there first…
“space programs are woefully underfunded, the morale low,”
“space programs are woefully underfunded, the morale low,” gee…that sounds familiar. wonder what other agency is woefully underfunded and morale low?
This is idiotic beyond words.
If someone in Russia figures that an EM source took out their probe, then I can only assume that their flight trajectories did not plan to go through the Van Allen belts on its way from Earth to Mars. So, perhaps it was an n-space translation that went wrong.
Actually, the explanation is quite simple: 1) it is a Russian probe; and 2) it was going to Mars. History has shown us that this never works! And you know that history doesn’t lie. QED.
Steve
“No tovarisch – dirty trick, probably by moose and squirrel. Just like all other times with Mars.”
“Now, why doesn’t Europe want to deal with us over CSTS? And some in the US want nothing to do with us on the ISS? We are such great big lovable bears – what’s not to love.”
“Just give us a great big hug!”
“Popovkin, and the Sputniks he controls, are the only way to get American astronauts to the International Space Station”
Hmm. Ride that cannonball
With the Russian bully-leadership playing up to the public by loudly threatening criminal charges against Roscosmos execs, even before the cause of the failure was known, is it any wonder that those Roscosmos execs are trying to publicly shift the blame elsewhere?
In Russia the satellites sabotage *You*! What a country!