Ulysses was the first spacecraft to study our Sun's poles.
Ulysses was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery STS-41 mission (right).
The spacecraft used Jupiter's powerful gravity to hurl it into an orbit that couldn't be reached with conventional rocket power.
Ulysses was the first spacecraft to fly by the Sun's polar regions.
Ulysses was launched by the Space Shuttle Discovery.
Ulysses was built by the European Space Agency, which managed it in cooperation with NASA.
