US Space Agency Loses Contact with Comet-exploring Spacecraft

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, August 16, 2002

US Space Agency Loses Contact with Comet-exploring Spacecraft

Mission operators with the US space agency NASA are waiting for signals from a comet-chasing spacecraft after they lost contact of the 158-million-US dollar probe early Thursday morning.

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Mission operators with the US space agency NASA are waiting for signals from a comet-chasing spacecraft after they lost contact of the 158-million-US dollar probe early Thursday morning.

The problem occurred when the Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR) spacecraft, at a position of about 140 miles (225 kms) above the Indian Ocean, was programmed to fire its engines to fly out of Earth's orbit onto a path to encounter several comets.

Following that maneuver, mission controllers were supposed to receive some signals from the spacecraft, but they didn't.

The mission operators are now "working through several backup plans to establish contact with the spacecraft," said NASA in a statement.

It is still unclear what went wrong.

CONTOUR, launched on July 3, is designed to explore the nucleus of at least two comets. The 970-kilogram spacecraft is scheduled to meet up with comet Encke in 2003, Schwassman-Wachmann 3 in 2006and possibly comet d'Arrest in 2008.

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