Overview: Fundamental Technologies, LLC, of Lawrence, Kansas, is the official production center for Ulysses HISCALE data. The following gives a brief explanation of the Ulysses Mission, and the types of instruments included in its scientific payload. Please view the Ulysses HISCALE Data Analysis Handbook for more information.
Mission Background: The primary purpose of the Ulysses mission, a joint venture between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), was to explore the inner heliosphere of the sun away from the ecliptic plane. This mission was unique in that the spacecraft traveled over the solar poles, exploring regions of the sun in a manner not previously attempted.
Scientific Payload: The Ulysses scientific payload consisted of nine experiments:
CODE NAME | ACRONYM | TYPE OF INVESTIGATION |
---|---|---|
BAM | SWPE | Solar wind plasma |
GLG | SWICS | Solar-wind ion composition spectrometer |
HED | FGM/VHM | Magnetic field flux-gate/vector helium magnetometers |
KEP | EPAC/GAS | Energetic particle composition and neutral gas |
SIM | COSPIN | Cosmic ray and solar charged particles |
HUS | GRB | Solar x-rays/cosmic gamma ray bursts |
GRU | DUST | Cosmic dust |
STO | URAP | Unified radio and plasma waves |
LAN | HISCALE | Low energy ions and electrons |
The HISCALE instrument consists of five telescope apertures which use the spin of the spacecraft to sweep the full sky:
Two Low Energy Magnetic Spectrometers (LEMS) | Measure flux and direction of ions greater than 50 keV |
Two Low Energy Foil Spectrometers (LEFS) | Measure flux and direction of electrons above 30 keV |
One Composition Aperture (CA) | Measures elemental composition of the ions |
Additional information at Fundamental Technologies, LLC:
- Ulysses HISCALE Data Analysis Handbook
- Virtual Heliospheric Observatory
- Ulysses Publications
- Ulysses Team Meetings
Updated 7/18/2022, Dr. Jerry W. Manweiler
QUICK FACTS
Mission End Date: June 30, 2009
Destination: The inner heliosphere of the sun away from the ecliptic plane
Orbit: Elliptical orbit transversing the polar regions of the sun outside of the ecliptic plane