Russia's space agency has blamed the effects of cosmic radiation for the failure of its Fobos-Grunt Mars probe.
Roscosmos head Vladimir Popovkin said that his analysts believe that space radiation led the onboard computer system to experience memory problems after launch.
The unmanned probe was launched in November in an ambitious mission to fly to Mars's largest moon, Phobos, and collect ground samples.
But it failed to leave a low orbit around Earth, before gradually descending and crashing on January 15 into the Pacific Ocean.
Compiled from agency reports
Roscosmos head Vladimir Popovkin said that his analysts believe that space radiation led the onboard computer system to experience memory problems after launch.
The unmanned probe was launched in November in an ambitious mission to fly to Mars's largest moon, Phobos, and collect ground samples.
But it failed to leave a low orbit around Earth, before gradually descending and crashing on January 15 into the Pacific Ocean.
Compiled from agency reports
