The Phobos-Grunt spacecraft launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 3:16 p.m. EST (2016 GMT) on Nov. 8, 2011, and separated from its Zenit rocket properly, Russian officials said. However, the spacecraft's own engine failed to ignite to take the vehicle on a trajectory to Mars, leaving it stranded in Earth orbit.
Failure Common Among Mars Missions (Timeline)
Photos: Russia's Phobos-Grunt Mission to Mars Moon