National Aeronautics and Space Administration

The COS-B Satellite

The ESA mission COS-B, along with NASA’s SAS-2, provided the first detailed views of the Universe in Gamma-rays. COS-B carried a single large experiment, the Gamma-Ray Telescope, which was responsibility of a group of European research laboratories know as the Caravane Collaboration. Launched on the 9 August 1975, COS-B was originally projected to last two years, but it operated successfully for 6 years and 8 months. It provided the first complete map of the Galaxy in gamma-rays.

Mission Characteristics

Lifetime

Energy Range

Payload

• Magnetic-core, wire-matrix, spark chamber gamma-ray detector (~30 MeV-5 GeV), eff. area 50 cm² at 400 MeV
• a 2-12 keV proportional counter mounted on the side of the gamma-ray detector

Science Highlights

• Observations of gamma-ray pulsars, binary systems.
• Gamma-ray map of the Galaxy.
• Detailed observations of the GEMINGA gamma-ray pulsar.

Archive