This illustration shows an artist concept of the NASA Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR) spacecraft.
Click on image for full size
Courtesy of NASA

CONTOUR Lost in Space
News story originally written on August 27, 2002

We are sad to report that the Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR), which launched July 3, 2002, is currently lost in space. The CONTOUR spacecraft was to explore the nucleus of comets. It was scheduled to fly by at least two comets over the next few years, taking pictures and collecting dust from the nucleus of each.

On Aug. 15, 2002 CONTOUR's rocket ignited to boost the spacecraft out of Earth's orbit. At that time, it was about 140 miles above the Indian Ocean and out of radio contact with controllers, but they expected to regain contact within an hour. Since the rockets ignited, there has been no contact with CONTOUR.

The team that created CONTOUR had pre-programmed the spacecraft's computer to try many different ways of contacting Earth in the event that contact was somehow lost. None of these extra ways of contacting Earth seem to have worked because there has still been no communication with the lost spacecraft.

Pictures from the telescope at Kitt Peak, Arizona show three objects at the location where CONTOUR should be. Since CONTOUR was originally in one piece, these pictures may indicate that the spacecraft has broken apart.

Mission controllers have not given up hope! There is a possibility that the main part of the spacecraft is still intact if two non-essential parts came off. They will continue listening for signals from the spacecraft until early December, when CONTOUR will be in a better location to receive a signal from Earth.


Last modified August 27, 2002 by Lisa Gardiner.

You might also be interested in:

Cool It! Game

Check out our online store - minerals, fossils, books, activities, jewelry, and household items!...more

1999--A Year in Review...

It was another exciting and frustrating year for the space science program. It seemed that every step forward led to one backwards. Either way, NASA led the way to a great century of discovery. Unfortunately,...more

STS-95 Launch: "Let the wings of Discovery lift us on to the future."

The Space Shuttle Discovery lifted off from Kennedy Space Center at 2:19 p.m. EST, October 29th. The sky was clear and the weather was great as Discovery took 8 1/2 minutes to reach orbit for the Unitied...more

Moon Found Orbiting Asteroid

A moon was discovered orbiting the asteroid, Eugenia. This is only the second time in history that a satellite has been seen circling an asteroid. A special mirror allowed scientists to find the moon...more

U.S. is Fed Up with Russia

Will Russia ever put the service module for the International Space Station in space? NASA officials are demanding an answer from the Russian government. The necessary service module is currently waiting...more

More on Recent Coronal Mass Ejection

During a period of about two days in early May, 1998, the ACE spacecraft was immersed in plasma associated with a coronal mass ejection (CME). The SWICS instrument on ACE, which determines unambiguously...more

Mother Nature's Air Conditioning

J.S. Maini of the Canadian Forest Service has referred to forests as the "heart and lungs of the world." Forests reduce soil erosion, maintain water quality, contribute to atmospheric humidity and cloud...more

Planetary Alignment 2002

In late April through mid-May 2002, all five naked-eye planets are visible simultaneously in the night sky! This is includes Mercury which is generally very hard to see because of its proximity to the...more

Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part is sponsored in part through grants from federal agencies (NASA and NOAA), and partnerships with affiliated organizations, including the American Geophysical Union, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Earth System Information Partnership, the American Meteorological Society, the National Center for Science Education, and TERC. The American Geophysical Union and the American Geosciences Institute are Windows to the Universe Founding Partners. NESTA welcomes new Institutional Affiliates in support of our ongoing programs, as well as collaborations on new projects. Contact NESTA for more information. NASA ESIP NCSE HHMI AGU AGI AMS NOAA