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CONTOUR Launch Postponed The launch of NASA's Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR) spacecraft aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket has been postponed to no earlier than Wednesday, July 3. During installation of the launch vehicle fairing around the spacecraft on Thursday, possible particulate contamination was observed on the top solar array panel. As a precautionary measure, this particulate is being analyzed to determine its composition and what further action, if any, is necessary. The CONTOUR spacecraft will carry the Neutral Gas and Ion Mass Spectrometer (NGIMS) that was developed by employees at the Atmospheric Experiment Branch at Goddard. This instrument is designed to measure the chemical and isotopic composition of the neutral gas and ion species near the nucleus of each comet during the fast CONTOUR flybys. The data will give scientist information about chemical conditions in the early stages of solar system formation. Should launch occur on July 3, the launch time would be 2:47:41 a.m. EDT. The prelaunch press conference would be held on Monday, July 1, at 1 p.m. EDT. The CONTOUR launch period extends until July 25 without affecting the mission. For more information
on the CONTOUR project, go to: http://webserver.gsfc.nasa.gov/contour.html
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