• ESA uses cookies to track visits to our website only, no personal information is collected.
    By continuing to use the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. OK
    Find out more about our cookie policy.
    • → European Space Agency

    • About Science & Technology

    • For Public

    • For Educators

    • ESA

    • Science & Technology

    • Ulysses

    • Missions
    • Show All Missions
    • Mission Home
    • Summary
    • Fact Sheet
    • Objectives
    • Mission Team
    • Science Overview
    • Discoveries
    • Solar Cycle
    • Jupiter
    • 1st Solar Orbit
    • 2nd Solar Orbit
    • Beyond the Heliosphere
    • Spacecraft
    • 3D Model
    • Instruments
    • Engineering
    • Mission Operations
    • Launch
    • Orbit/Navigation
    • Mission Timeline
    • Status Reports
    • Science Operations
    • Ulysses SOC
    • Data Archive
    • Resources
    • News Archive
    • Multimedia Gallery
    • Publications Archive
    • Calendar of Events
    • Services
    • Contact Us
    • Subscribe
    • RSS feed
    • Terms and Conditions

    Launch

    Ulysses was launched on 6 October 1990 at 11:47:15 UT by the Space Shuttle Discovery (OV-103) on mission STS-41 from the Kennedy Space Center.

    Launch of Ulysses on board the Space Shuttle Discovery.
    Credit NASA

    The spacecraft was mounted on top of two propulsion modules, the Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) and the Payload Assisted Module (PAM).  The tower-like space vehicle was released into orbit from the Discovery cargo bay and aimed towards Jupiter.  First the two-stage IUS was fired, followed by the PAM, accelerating Ulysses to the greatest injection velocity ever achieved by a man-made object.  The spacecraft velocity relative to the Sun was more than 41 kms-1.

    The Ulysses-IUS-PAM composite before and after deployment.
    Credit NASA

    At the end of its injection into interplanetary orbit, the Ulysses Spacecraft separated from the PAM and started transmitting data to the ground.  This data was eagerly received by Mission Control after the long silence imposed by the injection manoeuvre. Ulysses was in perfect condition, heralding the start of a successful mission.


    Last Update: 24 January 2007

    • Shortcut URL
    • http://sci.esa.int/jump.cfm?oid=33615
    • Images And Videos
    • Launch of Ulysses
    • Launch of Ulysses
    • Launch of Ulysses
    • Launch of Ulysses
    • Ulysses in Shuttle Cargo Bay
    • Deployment of Ulysses
    • Deployment of Ulysses
    • Deployment of Ulysses
    • Deployment of Ulysses

    Connect with us

    • RSS
    • Youtube
    • Twitter
    •  Flickr
    • Google+
    • Livestream
    • Subscribe
    • Appstore
    • Twitter-2

    Follow ESA science