What's Up With Ulysses?, alive? dead? cancelled soon? |
What's Up With Ulysses?, alive? dead? cancelled soon? |
Sep 27 2005, 04:05 AM
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Member Group: Members Posts: 356 Joined: 12-March 05 Member No.: 190 |
What is up with the tiny Ulysses spacecraft that was launched in 1990 to study the solar whatever at high lattitudes? Last I heard it was in danger of dying because the RTG power was running low and at aphelion there was a risk of the hydrazine freezing/exploding in its propulsion system. Well that was like a year ago and I haven't heard anything since. It looks like it should've passed aphelion by now and should be out of danger.....
Its been going up there for over a full solar cycle, is it one of the missions on the chopping block because of the new humans on moon/mars thing? |
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Feb 11 2007, 08:17 PM
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Merciless Robot Group: Admin Posts: 8789 Joined: 8-December 05 From: Los Angeles Member No.: 602 |
I agree with ustrax; the longevity of this spacecraft (and others) is astounding. These are arguably among the most complex devices ever built, yet without hands-on maintenance, periodic overhauls, etc., they just keep going. Wonder if the space agencies might be interested in building a few cars on the side...
All that aside, how much longer can Ulysses keep going given this new power conservation strategy? Also, is there any possibility that it will re-encounter Jupiter at some point? -------------------- A few will take this knowledge and use this power of a dream realized as a force for change, an impetus for further discovery to make less ancient dreams real.
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Feb 11 2007, 08:44 PM
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#3
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1729 Joined: 3-August 06 From: 43° 35' 53" N 1° 26' 35" E Member No.: 1004 |
Also, is there any possibility that it will re-encounter Jupiter at some point? Back when I was in university, a dozen of years ago I played with simulating Ulysses' orbit. In that occasion I "discovered" the second flyby of 2003. Ulysses crosses Jupiter's orbit every 6.5 years, and approaches it every 13 years, but IIRC, the encounter distance is increasing and there will be no more flybys during all of the 21st century. |
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