▁Air ▁Force ▁Station ▁in ▁Florida , ▁ab o ard ▁a ▁Com mer cial ▁T itan ▁III ▁CT - 4 ▁launch ▁vehicle . ▁The ▁complete ▁burn ▁sequence ▁last ed ▁for ▁ 3 4 ▁minutes ▁after ▁a ▁solid - f uel ▁Transfer ▁Or bit ▁Stage ▁ ▁placed ▁the ▁space craft ▁into ▁an ▁ 1 1 - month , ▁Mars ▁transfer ▁traject ory , ▁at ▁a ▁final ▁speed ▁of ▁ 5 . 2 8   km / s ▁with ▁respect ▁to ▁Mars . ▁ ▁On ▁August ▁ 2 5 , ▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁partic ulate ▁cont am ination ▁was ▁found ▁within ▁the ▁space craft . ▁After ▁a ▁full ▁ins pection , ▁a ▁clean ing ▁was ▁determined ▁necessary ▁and ▁was ▁performed ▁on ▁August ▁ 2 9 . ▁The ▁sus pected ▁cause ▁of ▁the ▁cont am ination ▁were ▁measures ▁taken ▁to ▁protect ▁the ▁space craft ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁land fall ▁of ▁H urr icane ▁Andrew ▁which ▁struck ▁the ▁coast ▁of ▁Florida ▁on ▁August ▁ 2 4 . ▁ ▁Enc ounter ▁with ▁Mars ▁Mars ▁Ob server ▁was ▁scheduled ▁to ▁perform ▁an ▁orb ital ▁insert ion ▁man eu ver ▁on ▁August ▁ 2 4 , ▁ 1 9 9 3 , ▁but ▁contact ▁with ▁the ▁space craft ▁was ▁lost ▁on ▁August ▁ 2 1 , ▁ 1 9 9 3 . ▁The ▁likely ▁reason ▁for ▁the ▁space craft ▁failure ▁was ▁the ▁leak age ▁of ▁fuel ▁and ▁ox id izer ▁v ap ors ▁through ▁the ▁impro per ly ▁designed ▁P TF E ▁check ▁val ve ▁to ▁the ▁common