The Fobos-Grunt spacecraft, bound for a moon of Mars but stuck in Earth's orbit, will come crashing back next month. However, its toxic fuel and radioactive material on board will pose no danger of contamination, the Federal Space Agency said Friday.
Between 20 and 30 fragments of the probe with a total weight of up to 200 kilograms will survive the fiery plunge and shower the Earth's surface between Jan. 6 and 19, the agency warned in a statement.
While the agency had lost contact with the probe following its launch on Nov. 9, this was the first time it acknowledged that the $170 million craft had been lost and will come crashing down.
(AP)
