The vicarious robot jockeys are smugly smiling this morning, as Phobos Grunt remains in Earth orbit. Apparently the upper stage automatic fire didn't start so the Mars trajectory phase didn't begin. Word is that there is still a possibility to get it corrected, we'll all just have to wait and see.

However, the big point is that Red Planet has begun. Even if this craft is deorbitted and this head of Roscosmos has to step down, the test of this set of components to this stage has been done and with the next launch window this issue can be corrected ... and perhaps more money can be put into the next one.

But there is no doubt that this is still an exciting beginning... UNLESS there are factions in Russia that will use this to try to bring Russia (but not China) back into the money and time and Human-focus losing ESA-NASA robot program.