description CONTOUR Overview
CONTOUR (Comet Nucleus Tour) was a NASA Discovery-program spacecraft launched on a Delta II rocket in July 2002 to make close flybys of comet nuclei, starting with comet Encke in 2003 and Schwassmann–Wachmann 3 in 2006. On 15 August 2002, during the burn of its solid-fuel rocket motor intended to send it out of Earth orbit, contact was lost and the craft apparently broke apart; telescopes later imaged fragments along its predicted path. A NASA investigation pointed to the motor's design and testing as the likely cause of the failure.
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What was NASA's CONTOUR spacecraft designed to do?
CONTOUR, short for Comet Nucleus Tour, was designed to make close flybys of comet nuclei. It was part of NASA's Discovery program and launched on a Delta II rocket in July 2002.
Which comets was CONTOUR supposed to visit?
The mission planned a flyby of comet Encke in 2003 and Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 in 2006. It was intended to compare the composition and structure of different comet nuclei.
What happened to CONTOUR in August 2002?
During a solid-fuel rocket burn on 15 August 2002, mission controllers lost contact with the spacecraft. Later analysis concluded that the spacecraft broke apart during the burn.
Was CONTOUR a NASA Mars mission?
No. CONTOUR was a comet mission, not a Mars mission. Its scientific goal was close observation of comet nuclei during high-speed flybys.
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