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Solar Probe

June 27, 2009

NASA and the European Space Agency, often stuck with lifeless satellites and multi-billion euro lenses that won't open, are set to pull the plug on a robotic solar probe for quite the opposite reason.

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Earth horizon curvature, view from space
14 years past its expiry date Ulysses is set to retireImage: AP

The Ulysses probe was launched from the space shuttle Discovery in 1990 and was supposed to last five years. But it's now nearing 19 years, 5.8 billion miles (9.3 billion kilometers) and still going.

Sixteen months ago, the two space agencies announced that after years of over-performance Ulysses was finally freezing up and would die in a matter of weeks. Yet somehow the probe kept operating, sending important scientific information about an extraordinarily quiet year for sunspots and solar wind.

But all that really will end after the space agencies announced Friday they will finally flick the off switch on Ulysses' transmitter at the end of June, signaling the end of the road for the probe that kept on keeping on. Officials said issues with power, location and antennae made Ulysses no longer useful.

dfm/Reuters/AP
Editor: Andreas Illmer

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