CONTOUR
About CONTOUR
NASA's CONTOUR (COmet Nucleus TOUR) was built to study and compare the interiors of two to three comets. Contact with the spacecraft was lost after an engine burn. An investigation determined that overheating during the burn caused the spacecraft to break apart.
Type Flyby |
Status Complete - Unsuccessful |
Launch July 3, 2002 06:47:41 UT |
Science Targets Comets 2P/Encke 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann-3 6P/d’Arrest (bonus) |
Overview

CONTOUR was designed to fly by at least two comets with the goal of compiling topographical and compositional maps, sending back imagery, and collecting data on the structure and composition of their comas. Two comets were selected for the primary mission flybys: 2P/Encke (Nov. 12, 2003) and 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann-3 (June 19, 2006). A third flyby of 6P/d’Arrest (Aug. 16, 2008) was considered for an extended mission.
The spacecraft was successfully launched to a high apogee orbit with a period of five-and-a-half days. Controllers implemented at least 23 orbital maneuvers during the next 43 days and 25 orbits to position CONTOUR properly for its planned burn to heliocentric orbit. On that day, Aug. 15, 2002, at 08:49 UT, its solid propellant apogee motor fired as the spacecraft was approaching perigee over the Indian Ocean and out of radio contact. CONTOUR was never heard from again.
An investigation determined the spacecraft had broken up during its burn. It probably suffered structural failure due to plume heating as its main engine was firing, caused either by problems in the design of the probe or the solid rocket motor itself.
Science
CONTOUR’s target comets had diverse physical characteristics. They were selected because they would be relatively close to Earth during each encounter.
Evolved yet active, Encke has been observed at more apparitions than any other comet, even Halley. Encke takes about three years to orbit the Sun. Encke has traveled this orbit for thousands of years, so its continued activity is rather puzzling.
Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 was discovered in 1930. Its activity was predictable until the mid-1990s, when it split into several pieces. The breakup offered the possibility of seeing relatively fresh, unaltered surfaces and evidence of materials inside the comet nucleus.
Spacecraft
Simple and compact, CONTOUR has few hinged and movable parts; a body-mounted solar array; and a mission geometry suitable for fixed, passive antennas. Operators point the instruments and antennas by moving the spacecraft. A layered shield of Nextel and Kevlar protects CONTOUR from speeding dust and particles near the nucleus.
Nation | United States of America (USA) |
Objective(s) | Comet flyby |
Spacecraft Designation | 2002-034A, |
Spacecraft Mass | 2,140 pounds (970 kilograms) |
Mission Design and Management | NASA / JHUAPL |
Launch Vehicle | Delta 7425-9.5 (no. D292) |
Launch Date and Time | July 3, 2002 / 06:47:41 UT |
Launch Site | Cape Canaveral, Fla. / SLC-17A |
Scientific Instruments | 1. Remote Imager/Spectrograph (CRISP) 2. Forward Imager (CFI) 3. Neutral Gas Ion Mass Spectrometer (NGIMS) 4. Dust Analyzer (CIDA) |
The spacecraft had an 8-sided body; 2 meters (6 feet) tall; 2 meters wide.
Total weight: 970 kilograms (2,138 pounds)
- Dry spacecraft: 387 kilograms
- Solid rocket motor: 503 kilograms
- Hydrazine fuel: 80 kilograms
Two modes of operation: Spin-stabilized cruise mode, and a precision, 3-axis stabilized encounter mode. CONTOUR was designed for solar distances up to about 121 million miles (195 million kilometers). It carried two, 5-gigabit solid-state data recorders to store data for transmission to Earth.
Science Instruments
CONTOUR Forward Imager (CFI)
- Locates comet on approach
- Snaps color pictures of gas, dust jets near nucleus
Mass: 9.7 kg (21 pounds)
Power: 10 watts (average) Supplier: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
CONTOUR Remote Imager/Spectrograph (CRISP)
- Takes high-resolution photos of nucleus
- Maps ice and rock types on surface
Mass: 26.7 kg (59 pounds)
Power: 45 watts (average)
Supplier: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Neutral Gas and Ion Mass Spectrometer (NGIMS)
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Counts and analyzes atoms, molecules and ions around nucleus
Mass: 13.5 kg (30 pounds) Power: 47 watts (average)
Supplier: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Comet Impact Dust Analyzer (CIDA)
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Determines composition of dust surrounding nucleus
Mass: 10.5 kg (23 pounds)
Power: 13 watts (average)
Supplier: von Hoerner & Sulger, GmbH
The Team
Principal Investigator: Dr. Joseph Veverka, Cornell University
Project Management, Spacecraft Development and Mission Operations: The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Navigation and Deep Space Network (DSN) Support: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Science Team:18 co-investigators from universities, industry and government agencies in the U.S. and Europe
CONTOUR was the sixth mission in NASA’s innovative Discovery Program of low-cost, highly focused scientific exploration projects. Other Discovery missions to small bodies include Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) — the first mission to orbit and land on an asteroid — the Stardust and Deep Impact comet studies, and the Dawn asteroid-orbiter mission.