Astronomy current events question: Fobos-Grunt mission objective

Astronomy 210L, spring semester 2012
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students are assigned to read online articles on current astronomy events, and take a short current events quiz during the first 10 minutes of lab. (This motivates students to show up promptly to lab, as the time cut-off for the quiz is strictly enforced!)

Jonathan Amos, "Phobos-Grunt: Failed Probe 'Falls Over Pacific,'" January 15, 2012
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16491457

The Russian Space Agency Fobos-Grunt ("Phobos-Ground") spacecraft, which crash-landed into the Pacific, was intended to travel to Mars to:
(A) bring back a sample from one of its moons.
(B) burrow underground to search for water.
(C) produce fuel for future space missions.
(D) search for the defunct NASA Spirit rover.
(E) map the "face on Mars" with high-resolution radar.

Correct answer: (A)

Student responses
Sections 30678, 30679, 30680
(A) : 31 students
(B) : 8 students
(C) : 1 student
(D) : 2 students
(E) : 14 students