The probe Ulysses stopped working

Ulysses, the first spacecraft to study the sun not only from the zodiacal plane but also from the poles of the sun, was successfully launched into space in 1990 by space shuttle Discovery. After 18 years and 9 months of operation, it will end the mission on June 30, 2009.

Ulysses is the result of a partnership between the US Space Administration (NASA) and Europe (ESA). It has a size of 3.2 x 3.3 x 2.1 meters, using a disk antenna system. When released, it weighed 366.7 kg with 33.5 kg of hydrazine (a very toxic chemical). Nearly 20 years of work, Ulysses has conveyed valuable information about the sun such as wind, magnetic fields and poles .

Among the research results, it was found to be an interesting phenomenon, that is, the temperature at the southern end of the sun is about 80,000 ^o F (equivalent to 44,000 ^o C), 8% lower than temperature at the north pole. Thanks to the aid of the SWICS spectrophotometer mounted on the ship, scientists analyzed the components that make up the sun's wind and discovered that it is the concentration of O6 + and O7 + oxygen ions in a similar way. for indirectly creating the temperature of the gas, and the position of 300 million km from the sun is considered a safe distance for Ulysses.

ESA and NSA commented: 'The huge amount of data that Ulysses has gained over the years has helped us better understand the sun and its impacts on the surrounding space.' Last year, Ulysses flew over a cold space, so it was very difficult to work, it was once thought that it was 'dead'. Scientists have tried to activate the warming system and it finally works again. As of early 2009, the Ulysses ship has reached 8.6 billion km with an average speed of 56,000 km / hour.