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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."
If the fuel's going to freeze forever after this orbit, I'd send it into the sun with all instruments lit up and see what it can record on the way down.
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Or crash it into the sun and take data as long as you can?
As the Greek Geeks will know, the real (legendary) Ulysses (aka Odysseus) went on a ten-year odyssey returning home after the Trojan war.
Yeah, because he sucked at navigation.
Additionally, he was an idiot: All the things the gods warned him not to do because
they would turn out to be bad, he did - and they went bad. I never understood why this
moron is considered a hero, and what the gods liked about the guy.
Quite a few spacecraft seem to run out of power due to failing RTGs. Admittedly, these are the ones that already perform *much* better than their design-lifetime (so Kudos to the designers), but why not just equip them with a little more of the relevant isotope? After all, the mass required is really quite small, and when the missions succeed, it would be great to have a 50+ year lifespan. Is there a good reason why the amount of isotope is limited, or is it just that nobody ever expected the craft to function so well and for so long?
My astronomy teacher told us about it when I was still in school. Must have been around '92.
She taught astronomy at the local observatory+planetarium. Her name was the German word for Fox so she had her own constellation = Vulpecula.
Idiotically our local Christian democrat government canceled astronomy lessons in 2007. This used to be a required course for the 10th grade in Eastern Germany since 1959. (Its probably the money)
Anyway, old satellites never die, and sometimes their orbits won't even decay.
Je me souviens.
Phoenix, Boston, Little Rock, see a pattern?
keeping active components of RTG at a distance and as they gradually decay bringing them closer together. Additionally a gradually increasing concentration of neutron reflective materials can be added as components get closer together. This would slow decay of radioactive materials and reduce temperature in the beginning potentially reducing size of radiators. This should also increase period of time for which RTG can be active by using variably reflective neutron mirrors.
But seriously, I think something floating about freely in space can survive more easily than something grinding around in dirt all day long. It's great that Ulysses lasted that long, but it's still not as astonishing as those Mars rovers, I'd think.