Phobos 2 launched toward Mars on July 12, 1988. It successfully went into orbit on January 29, 1989, and began sending back preliminary data. Several sets of images were returned on February 21 and 28, as Phobos 2 orbited Mars in a path coplanar with the orbit of the moon, but 300 kilometers (180 miles) farther from Mars. Because of the larger distance from Mars, Phobos 2 traveled more slowly than the moon, so images were only possible during "flybys" that occurred once a week.
Next, the spacecraft adjusted its orbit so that its orbital period was the same as that of Phobos, allowing it to remain stationed within 500 kilometers (300 miles) of the moon. Five more sets of images were acquired on March 25. Then, on March 27, just before the spacecraft was to move within 50 meters of Phobos and deploy the two landers, the spacecraft's onboard computer malfunctioned and the mission was lost.
Although the mission failed in most of its objectives, it succeeded in sending back 37 images of Phobos.
