MOSCOW. Jan 26 (Interfax-AVN) - A flow of high energy particles from a solar flare might have disrupted the operation of the Phobos-Grunt interplanetary probe, while a man-made influence is unlikely, Academy of Engineering Sciences Vice-President Yuri Kubarev said.
"A flow of high energy particles, such as protons, neutrons, molecule fractions and electrons, travelling towards the Earth passes through various magnetic anomalies at low altitudes. One of such anomalies was in the path of Phobos-Grunt. It was unlucky to bump into a flow of high-energy articles," he said.
A man-made influence on the Phobos-Grunt equipment, including that coming from a U.S. radar station, "would be a second, third or even fourth reason," he said.
"The possibility of such influence is very small. In fact, it is 99.9% ruled out," he said.
At the same time, the option cannot be excluded. "There are neither pros nor cons in the question of man-made influence because we have no instruments to measure it," the expert said.
Phenomena linked with plasma physics might have had an effect on the Phobos-Grunt operation, he said.
"Earlier experiences showed that the transmission and reception of telemetric data from a spacecraft may be disrupted depending on the spacecraft's position as regards certain magnetic lines of the Earth and the flight altitude: the ionosphere, the magnetosphere and denser layers of the upper atmosphere," he said.
A spacecraft may encounter an ionized environment created by electric wind, friction of the spacecraft surface on surrounding particles or a flow from an electric, liquid or solid fuel engine, he said.