Ulysses is Still Alive!
Last month, ESA announced that the joint ESA/NASA mission Ulysses will officially conclude on 1 July this year, after over 17 years of operation.
But until today, the spacecraft is still alive!
Previously Ulysses was “predicted” going to die soon because as it is receding from the Sun out to Jupiter’s orbit, the spacecraft is getting colder and colder until a point where its hydrazine fuel will freeze in the fuel lines.
However, as a result of fuel bleeding and other operations strategies, the Ulysses team have managed to avoid freezing the hydrazine so far. In an email from the Ulysses Mission Operations Manager Nigel Angold to the Ulysses community, it seems that the mission could actually go on for some time.
Yay, keep going Ulysses…
My Dark Sky 