The Astrophysics Science Division (ASD) at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) seeks a creative, innovative individual with strong teamwork and leadership skills to serve as Director of the High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC). This will be a permanent civil servant position. + Learn more.

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ACTIVE MISSIONS
   AstroSat    BurstCube
   CALET    Chandra
   Fermi    HXMT-Insight
   INTEGRAL    IXPE
   MAXI    NICER
   NuSTAR    SRG  eROSITA
   /ART-XC
   Swift    XMM-Newton
   XRISM    
PAST MISSIONS
   AGILE    ANS
   ARIEL V    ASCA
   BBXRT    BeppoSAX
   CGRO    COPERNICUS
   COS-B    DXS
   EINSTEIN    EUVE
   EXOSAT    GINGA
   GRANAT    HaloSat
   HAKUCHO    HEAO-1
   HEAO-3    HETE-2
   Hitomi    OSO-7
   OSO-8    ROSAT
   Rossi XTE    SAS-2
   SAS-3    Suzaku
   TENMA    UHURU
   VELA 5B     WASS
   XQC    

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 : HEASARC hosts raw data, image and exposure maps from the gamma-ray detector
[COS-B Home] [About COS-B] [Archive] [Gallery] [Publications]
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Page authors: Lorella Angelini Jesse Allen
HEASARC Home | Observatories | Archive | Calibration | Software | Tools | Students/Teachers/Public
Last modified: Thursday, 24-Sep-2020 18:30:39 EDT

The Astrophysics Science Division (ASD) at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) seeks a creative, innovative individual with strong teamwork and leadership skills to serve as Director of the High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC). This will be a permanent civil servant position. + Learn more.