BBC: Grunt if you like Phobos

(Sorry about the subject line, I just like the name of the
spacecraft... :)

BBC News Online
Thursday, 29 March 2007, 11:52 GMT 12:52 UK

Russia, China aim for Red Planet

China will launch a joint mission with Russia to Mars, a "milestone"
in space co-operation between the two countries.

The agreement was signed during a three-day visit to Russia by China's
president Hu Jintao.

The move follows pledges by Moscow to work more closely with the
Chinese on missions to Mars and the Moon.

A small satellite developed by China will piggyback on the Russian
launch of a spacecraft called "Phobos Grunt", probably in October
2009.

In a statement, the China National Space Administration said the
agreement "indicates the two sides have taken a key step forward to
working together on a large space programme."

After entering orbit around the Red Planet, the Chinese
micro-satellite will detach from the Russian spacecraft, and probe the
Martian space environment, according to the statement.

The Russian spacecraft will touch down on the Martian moon Phobos and
collect soil samples for return to Earth.

There was no mention of a timetable in the Chinese space agency
statement. But earlier Russian reports said the launch window for the
10-11 month voyage to Phobos, Mars' largest moon, will be in October
2009.

The agreement was signed by the China National Space Administration
head Sun Laiyan and Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) chief
Anatoly Perminov and witnessed by the two countries' presidents.

China is working on a three-stage plan for exploration of the Earth's
Moon, which includes sending a lunar orbiter called Chang'e-1 some
time this year, followed by a soft landing in 2012 and the return of
lunar samples in another five years.

A UK team has also been developing a concept mission to land a
spacecraft on the potato-shaped moon Phobos. It would act as a
technology demonstrator for a mission to bring Martian rocks back to
Earth.

Both Europe and the US have made the objective of returning Martian
samples to Earth laboratories a top priority for their space
programmes. A joint venture is likely to occur within the next 15-20
years.



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