 Cos-B, a satellite tostudy cosmic gamma-rays | |
| Mission type | Astronomy |
|---|---|
| Operator | ESA |
| COSPAR ID | 1975-072A |
| SATCATno. | 08062 |
| Mission duration | 2.5 years (planned) 10 years, 5 months and 8 days (achieved) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 9 August 1975, 01:48:00 UTC |
| Rocket | Delta 2913 |
| Launch site | Vandenberg Air Force Base,SLC-2W |
| End of mission | |
| Decay date | 18 January 1986 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
COS-B (Celestial Observation Satellite B)[1] was the firstEuropean Space Research Organisation (ESRO) mission tostudy cosmic gamma ray sources. COS-B was first put forward by the European scientific community in the mid-1960s and approved by the ESRO council in 1969. The mission consisted of a satellite containing gamma-ray detectors, which was launched byNASA on behalf of theESRO on 9 August 1975. The mission was completed on 25 April 1982, after the satellite had been operational for more than 6.5 years, four years longer than planned and had increased the amount of data on gamma rays by a factor of 25. Scientific results included the2CG Catalogue listing around 25 gamma ray sources and a map of theMilky Way. The satellite also observed theX-ray binaryCygnus X-3.
COS-B was launched fromVandenberg Air Force Base on 9 August 1975 on a Delta 2913 rocket.
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