The Russian Phobos-Grunt mission is not yet considered lost, and space officials have until December to try to reestablish contact, re-program the probe and continue its mission to the Martian moon. After which, it may fall to Earth in January, according to a Russian space official.
Russian space
agency head Vladimir Popovkin confirmed that they have not been able to communicate with the spacecraft, which has been stranded in Earth orbit since its launch, but they have until early December to revive the aircraft.

Popovkin estimated that if the spacecraft would reenter the atmosphere, it will be in January. "The probe is going to be in orbit until January, but in the first days of December the window will close" to re-program it, he told Russian news agencies.

He also downplayed the risk of damage in case the spacecraft falls to the Earth, expressing confidence that it would burn up during reentry.

"There is little chance that it would ever reach Earth (surface) at all," he said. "We have no doubt that it will burn up on re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere."
In an earlier report, the Interfax news agency said the chances of rescuing the Russian probe are very small.

"Several attempts were made to obtain telemetric information from the probe. They all ended with zero result," Interfax said quoting a Russian space official.

The Phobos-Grunt mission went awry after its launch when the $165 million probe's engine failed to fire. The probe aims to land on the Martian moon Phobos and bring a sample of its rock back to Earth.