SPACEPHOTOS

(06/18/2002) -- The Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR) spacecraft, mated to the upper stage of its launch vehicle, is ready for transfer from the Space Assembly and Encapsulation Facility 2 (SAEF-2) to the launch pad. 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 a Boeing Delta II rocket is scheduled for July 1, 2002, from Launch Complex 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station