Finishing its mission and now on a free return trajectory to Earth, the Russian Mars Probe, also known by developing scientists as the "Burrowing Gerbil", is set for penetration of Earth's atmosphere sometime this weekend.
Not planned for survival of the heat and pressure during the re-entry process, the probe is expected to burst into flames and fragment into pieces during penetration. "Yes, there will plenty of friction there", says NASA space probe specialist, Dr. Hugh Jassman. "I'd hate to be the Stratosphere when that thing comes burrowing through my outer layer".
Experts can't agree on the exact time and date of the atmospheric penetration, but the event won't go unnoticed. "We expect to see a big ball of flame and an elongated tail as the Gerbil ploughs itself into a hole in the ground. Fun to watch, but I wouldn't want it to happen to me".
NASA co-workers and other experts who know the man personally, disagreed with Jassman's assertion.
