Groundbreaking Solar Mission Faces Chilly Death

iamlucky13 writes "Over 17 years ago, the Ulysses spacecraft was launched aboard the space shuttle Discovery for a unique NASA/ESA mission. While nearly all other probes travel along our solar system's ecliptic plane, Ulysses used a Jupiter gravity assist to swing 80 degrees out of plane, carrying it over the sun's poles for an unprecedented view. During a mission that lasted four times longer than planned, it has flown through the tails of several comets, helped pinpoint distant gamma-ray bursts, and provided data on the sun and its heliosphere from the better part of two solar cycles. Unfortunately, the natural reduction of power from its radioisotope thermal generator means it is now unable to even keep its attitude control fuel from freezing, and NASA has decided to formally conclude the mission on July 1."

Comments

solar power?

[Anonymous Coward]

They should have put solar panels on it.

Re:solar power?

[inamorty]

No man, it's an attitude problem.

it is now unable to even keep its attitude control fuel from freezing Instead of chilling out, it should apply itself more.

So long Energizer Bunny

[dreamchaser]

those Mars rovers that just keep going and going

I am waiting for Energizer to ditch that obnoxious rabbit and license the Mars Rovers for their advertising.

Re:So long Energizer Bunny

[ckaminski]

If you noticed, the rabbit's pink. The whole marketing program is a mind-numbingly awesome appeal to women to use Energizer batteries to power their vibrators.

Am I the only one that...

[Anonymous Coward]

...gets a little choked up thinking about that poor abandoned craft out there floating to oblivion with no one to talk to it.

Ok, back to masculinity-land...

The Real Ulysses

[gihan_ripper]

As the Greek Geeks will know, the real (legendary) Ulysses (aka Odysseus) went on a ten-year odyssey returning home after the Trojan war. All assumed that Ulysses had died and his former wife was preyed upon by suitors seeking her hand in marriage.

To cut a long story short, Ulysses killed all the suitors when he got home and was especially cruel to a turncoat goatherd, Melanthius. Ulysses cut off his nose and ears, pulled out his genitals for dog food, then sliced off his hands and feet.

Let's home the satellite doesn't come back and find us messing about with the ISS.

Re:The Real Ulysses

[DNS-and-BIND]

So, Ulysses was a neocon, eh?

Re:Not really as bad as the blurb sounds

[Anonymous Coward]

Come to google it, it's even lasted longer than those Mars rovers fixed.

Re:I'd send it into the sun for one last splash

[gihan_ripper]

which will no doubt baffle our ancestors.

so that would be our time-travelling ancestors?

Don't know how to mod this

[Fross]

It's either very informed indeed, or complete rubbish. I mean, "heterojunctiontions"?

Well done, I'm completely stumped.

Sweet Lord, Star Trek Writers

[patio11]

>>
dopant migration in the semiconductor heterojunctiontions
>>

Hire this guy. Now. He makes your "tachyon pulses" look like the deranged ramblings of a man-child.