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.

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:The Real Ulysses

[Petrushka]

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.

Not a single statement there accurately reflects the Odyssey. The actual story, as opposed to the one you've made up, relates that:

1. he took ten years because his men continually disobeyed his orders -- that's made clear in the first few lines --;
2. he shacked up with Circe for a year (voluntarily);
3. after he washed up on Calypso's island she basically held him prisoner for seven years. The story also relates how
4. any time a god told him to do something, he did exactly that; and
5. he is repeatedly described as having practically divine intelligence, and this is borne out by the various schemes he devises in the story. Even Athena compliments him on his deviousness.

The reason you do not understand his appeal to the ancient Greeks is because your memory of the story bears little resemblance to the actual story.

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

[crovira]

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.

Re:Mission's over?

[Anonymous Coward]

Did you see that big dish on it? "Floating around aimlessly" = not pointing at the earth. You can't transmit to the earth without attitude control.