▁the ▁Naval ▁Research ▁Labor atory , ▁announced ▁their ▁find ings : ▁the ▁most ▁probable ▁cause ▁in ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁communication ▁was ▁a ▁ru pt ure ▁of ▁the ▁fuel ▁press ur ization ▁tank ▁in ▁the ▁space craft ' s ▁prop ulsion ▁system . ▁It ▁is ▁believed ▁that ▁hyper g ol ic ▁fuel ▁may ▁have ▁le aked ▁past ▁val ves ▁in ▁the ▁system ▁during ▁the ▁cru ise ▁to ▁Mars , ▁allowing ▁the ▁fuel ▁and ▁ox id izer ▁to ▁combine ▁prem ature ly ▁before ▁reaching ▁the ▁comb ust ion ▁chamber . ▁ ▁The ▁le aking ▁fuel ▁and ▁gas ▁probably ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁high ▁spin ▁rate , ▁causing ▁the ▁space craft ▁to ▁enter ▁into ▁the ▁" con ting ency ▁mode "; ▁this ▁interrupted ▁the ▁stored ▁command ▁sequence ▁and ▁did ▁not ▁turn ▁the ▁transmit ter ▁on . ▁The ▁engine ▁was ▁derived ▁from ▁one ▁belonging ▁to ▁an ▁Earth ▁orb ital ▁satellite ▁and ▁was ▁not ▁designed ▁to ▁lie ▁d orm ant ▁for ▁months ▁before ▁being ▁fired . ▁ ▁After math ▁The ▁Mars ▁Ex pl oration ▁Program ▁was ▁formed ▁officially ▁in ▁the ▁w ake ▁of ▁the ▁Mars ▁Ob server ' s ▁failure ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 9 9 3 . ▁The ▁goals ▁of ▁that ▁program ▁include ▁ident ifying ▁the ▁location ▁of ▁water , ▁and ▁prepar ing ▁for ▁cre wed ▁miss ions ▁to ▁Mars . ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁▁ ▁Ex pl oration ▁of ▁Mars ▁ ▁List ▁of ▁miss ions ▁to ▁Mars ▁ ▁Planet ary ▁Ob server ▁program ▁ ▁Space ▁expl oration ▁ ▁Un mann ed ▁space ▁miss ions ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁External