The COS-B Satellite

artist concept of COS-B in orbit

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 : 9 Aug 1975 - 25 April 1982
Energy Range : 2 keV - 5 GeV
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 : Raw data, image and exposure maps from the Gamma ray detector

[About COS-B] [Archive] [Gallery] [Publications]

Last modified: Thursday, 26-Jun-2003 13:48:54 EDT