Fading Ulysses Back in 1990, NASA/ESA launched the Ulysses spacecraft to study the Sun for 5 years. Three mission extensions later, the latest extending the mission to 2008, Ulysses is still going -- and it's primary mission is still to study the Sun. Only problem is, its heaters are failing -- and space is very, very cold -- and the fuel lines are threatening to freeze up. What's a NASA/ESA astronomer to do?
Ulysses' long looping orbit carries it far from the sun. Every six years the spacecraft travels from the inner solar system to the realm of Jupiter and back again.

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