Ulysses, which has studied the sun and its effect on surrounding space for nearly four times its expected lifespan, will cease to function because of a decline in power produced by its on-board generators.

"There will never be another mission like Ulysses," said Ed Massey, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Ulysses project manager. "This legendary spacecraft has served us extraordinarily well and it has certainly lived up to its mythical namesake's reputation."

Ulysses was launched aboard space shuttle Discovery on Oct. 6, 1990. It was carried into a low-Earth orbit and then propelled towards Jupiter by a combination of solid fuel motors. As it flew by Jupiter on Feb. 8, 1992, the giant planet's gravity sent the spacecraft into a final orbit around the sun.

The European Space Agency provided the spacecraft, with NASA providing the space shuttle launch, inertial upper stage, the payload assist module and the equipment to power the spacecraft.