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Space History Photo: Ulysses Mission Preparations

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space history, solar observatory
Technicians conduct pre-flight testing of the Ulysses spacecraft. (Image credit: NASA.)

In this historical photo from the U.S. space agency, technicians in Hangar AO on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station do preflight checkout and testing of the Ulysses spacecraft on June 26, 1990.

Ulysses, a joint NASA/European Space Agency project, was launched by the Space Shuttle Discovery Oct. 6, 1990. To reach high solar latitudes, the spacecraft was aimed close to Jupiter so that Jupiter's large gravitational field would accelerate Ulysses out of the ecliptic plane to high latitudes. Ulysses observed the sun during a period of maximum solar activity, particularly from 2000 through 2001.

Each weekday, SPACE.com looks back at the history of spaceflight through photos (archive).

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U.S. Space Agency

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is the U.S. government agency in charge of the civilian space program as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. Founded in 1958, NASA is a civilian space agency aimed at exploring the universe with space telescopes,  satellites, robotic spacecraft, astronauts and more. The space agency has 10 major centers based across the U.S. and launches robotic and crewed missions from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral Florida. It's astronaut corps is based at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. To follow NASA's latest mission, follow the space agency on Twitter or any other social channel, of visit: nasa.gov.