scope:

Abstract:

The Comet Nucleus Tour, CONTOUR, was designed and built by Johns Hopkins University with specialized support from NASA as a part of NASA's Discovery series of solar system exploration satellites. Launched on July 3, 2002, it was intended to encounter at least two comets to perform a variety of analyses on comet material. However, sometime after the solid rocket motor (SRM) intended to move the satellite out of eccentric earth orbit was fired, the satellite was lost. Mission design did not allow for observation or telemetry coverage during SRM burn, so the mishap investigation board was unable to determine with certainty the cause of the failure. However, a major finding of the investigation was that telemetry or visual coverage of the satellite during SRM burn was, in fact, possible and may help prevent similar mishaps in the future.