Space engineers are keen on extending the internet to space to control spacecraft because of the considerable cost and time savings that can be made.

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As Gemini 8 Command Pilot, his March 16, 1966 mission with Pilot David Scott entailed complex rendezvous and docking maneuvers with an unmanned Agena target vehicle which ultimately required recovery from a harrowing, out-of-control spacecraft roll.

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There has been one hiccup: In August, an unmanned spacecraft veered out of control during a test flight and had to be destroyed.

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It could mean they gain control of the spacecraft systems and can fire the engines, but after the orbit around Earth has dropped so low that there is not enough fuel to go to Phobos.

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To do this the spacecraft will need fantastically accurate control systems: they will have to measure changes in the positions of the satellites with a precision of 20 picometres (a picometre is a millionth of a micron).

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The satellite-borne phone will map the Earth with its 5 megapixel camera and conduct a number of scientific and engineering experiments, the most significant of which will be to hand total control of the spacecraft over to the Nexus.

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Or, it could mean that they gain control of the spacecraft, but that the Fregat engine still will not ignite, yet the much less powerful propulsion units designed to land the craft on Phobos and propel the return capsule back to Earth are working fine.

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Cheers erupted in the control room when controllers received word of spacecraft separation.

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