
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Assembly and Encapsulation Facility 2 (SAEF-2), the Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR) spacecraft (left) is wrapped and ready for the crane at right to carry it to the upper stage of a Boeing Delta II rocket for mating. CONTOUR will provide the first detailed look into the heart of a comet -- the nucleus. Flying as close as 60 miles (100 kilometers) to at least two comets, the spacecraft will take the sharpest pictures yet of a nucleus while analyzing the gas and dust that surround these rocky, icy building blocks of the solar system. Launch of CONTOUR aboard the Delta II is scheduled for July 1, 2002, from Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Most NASA images are in the public domain and free to use. Credit NASA as the source. Check NASA's media usage guidelines for details. Images featuring identifiable individuals may require additional permissions.
NASA ID
KSC-02pd1002
Date Created
June 17, 2002
Center
KSC
Media Type
image
Location
Kennedy Space Center, FL
Download this image in multiple resolutions. All NASA media are free for public use.
Large
1920px