While NASA's recent LCROSS lunar rocket launched on its lunar mission, another space probe was already on an equally significant mission orbiting the sun.
Not only has that probe, a 300kg construction called Ulysses, been the first spacecraft to orbit the Sun's poles, but it has been in space for 18 years.
Now, with the amount of data being received from Ulysses decreasing, and fuel reportedly in short supply, NASA has decided to flick the switch on the craft's transmitters.
Interestingly, the probe's generators, which are needed to run heaters stopping fuel lines and equipment from freezing, are only producing 207 watts. Engineers have had to battle increasing limited temperature constraints, meaning that even sending commands to the Ulysses has resulted in temperatures dropping dangerously low.
According to New Scientist, once the transmitters are turned off, the craft will continue to orbit the Sun.
The craft will be joining another craft on a multi-decade journey into space. Pioneer 10 has been travelling away from the Earth for more than 30 years since its launch in 1972.
Carrying a plaque with symbols and messages designating human beings, Pioneer 10 is estimated at more than 7.5 billion miles from Earth. The last contact with the spacecraft was in 2003.
