The Sun Studying Ulysses Spacecraft

Interesting Facts About The Ulysses Spacecraft

• Ulysses' objective was to study and map the solar wind (and radiation) that streams non-stop from the Sun’s poles which had never been studied before. The Sun’s solar wind produces a huge bubble in interstellar space called the heliosphere. It was able to do this nearly 4 times longer than originally planned.
• The probes electronics were powered and heated by a radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG).
• The scientific instruments onboard were able to detect and measure the solar wind particles, magnetic fields, energetic particles, radio and plasma waves, dust and gas, X-rays, and gamma rays.
• The Ulysses spacecraft was launched into low-Earth orbit (LEO) in the payload bay of the shuttle Discovery, on October 6^th
• Once in LEO, the Ulysses set course for Jupiter, arriving in February 1992 where the probe performed the gravity-assist manoeuvre that swung it south, away from the ecliptic plane, into its unique solar orbit that would take it over the sun's south and north poles.
• This would not be a sungrazing mission though, as Ulysses was 300 million kilometres (2.0 AU) above the Sun's poles when passing over them.
• Ulysses’ orbit around the Sun, which takes it out past Jupiter, takes 6 years to complete.
• The Ulysses spacecraft completed three passes of the Sun’s north and south poles over its 18+ year mission.
• One of the key discoveries was that the strength of the solar wind has grown steadily weaker since the Space Age!
• Another discovery Ulysses made was that the polar regions of the Sun are cooler and their solar wind travels at a uniform speed of 750 km/s (1.68 million mph); twice as fast as the wind that emerges from the Sun’s equatorial zone!
• The probe also crossed the paths of several comet tails, analyzing their ion components.
• Ulysses was a joint ESA/NASA mission. With the partners providing various spacecraft components and launch services.
• A joint ESA/NASA team at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) managed the probes operations and data management, with the Ulysses spacecraft tracked by NASA’s Deep Space Network.
• Ulysses was finally deactivated on 30 June 2009 after its planned 5-year mission lasted 18 years, 8 months and 24 days.