This illustration shows an artist concept of the NASA Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR) spacecraft. CONTOUR will study at least two comets, providing the closest look at the comet’s nucleus we have ever had. Click on image for full size ( 12K ) Courtesy of NASA

The Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR), a NASA Discovery Mission, launched July 3, 2002 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The CONTOUR spacecraft will fly by at least two comets, taking pictures and collecting dust from the nucleus of each comet to help scientists answer some big questions.

“Contour is the next in the growing lineup of missions to explore small planetary bodies-such as comets and asteroids- and we expect it will add much to what little we know about these ancient samples of the solar system’s original materials,” said Dr. S.M. Krimigis of John’s Hopkins University’s Applies Physics Laboratory.

Studying the comets may help us better understand how our own solar system was formed and the composition of the outer planets. How can comets tell us this story? Because comets formed back when our solar system formed, they may be like time capsules, telling us what sorts of processes were occurring 4.6 billion years ago.

Also, studying what comets are made of may help us understand how the conditions on Earth became suitable for life to exist 3.5 billion years ago. Comets may have helped Earth become a good place for life to evolve when many comets bombarded the young Earth just before life evolved, possibly bringing water and carbon necessary for life.

To answer these scientific questions, the CONTOUR spacecraft will record data from at least two comets from the Jupiter family. It will encounter Encke, a comet with a very short orbit, in November 2003, and the Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 comet in June 2006, flying as close as 62 miles (100 km) from each comet nucleus.

This illustration shows an artist concept of the NASA Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR) spacecraft. CONTOUR will study at least two comets, providing the closest look at the comet’s nucleus we have ever had. Click on image for full size ( 12K ) Courtesy of NASA

NASA’s Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR), launched July 3, 2002. The CONTOUR spacecraft will fly by at least two comets, taking pictures and collecting dust from the nucleus of each comet to help scientists answer some big questions.

Studying the comets may help us better understand how our own solar system was formed and what the outer planets are made of. How can comets tell us this story? Comets formed back when our solar system formed, so they may be like time capsules, telling us what sorts of changes were going on 4.6 billion years ago.

Also, studying what comets are made of may help us understand how Earth first became a good place for living things 3.5 billion years ago. When many comets showered over the earth long ago, they may have brought water and carbon, helping Earth become a place that life was able to evolve and grow.

To answer these scientific questions, the CONTOUR spacecraft will record data from at least two comets from the Jupiter family. It will encounter Encke, a comet with a very short orbit, in November 2003, and the Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 comet in June 2006, flying as close at 62 miles (100 km) from each comet’s nucleus.

This illustration shows an artist concept of the NASA Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR) spacecraft. CONTOUR will study at least two comets, providing the closest look at the comet’s nucleus we have ever had. Click on image for full size ( 12K ) Courtesy of NASA

NASA’s Comet Nucleus Tour (called CONTOUR) launched July 3, 2002. The CONTOUR spacecraft will fly by at least two comets. It will take pictures and collect dust from the nucleus of each comet. Learning more about comets will help scientists answer some big questions!

One of these big questions is what the solar system was like when it was very young. Comets formed when our solar system formed. Because they are very old, they may tell us what changes were going on when the solar system formed.

Another big question is how Earth first became a good place for life a long time ago. Comets may have helped! When they showered over the Earth long ago, they may have brought things, like water and carbon, which helped life evolve and grow. If we know more about what comets are made of, we can know if this might be true.

To answer these big questions, the CONTOUR spacecraft will record data from at least two comets. It will encounter Encke in November 2003, and the Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 comet in June 2006.