View source for Cos-B

{{Short description|European space mission}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox spaceflight 
| name              = Cos-B
| image             = Cos-B.jpg
| image_caption     = Cos-B, a satellite to [[Gamma-ray astronomy|study cosmic gamma-rays]]
| image_size        = 300px

| mission_type      = [[Astronomy]] 
| operator          = [[European Space Agency|ESA]] 
| COSPAR_ID         = 1975-072A
| SATCAT            = 08062
| website           = 
| mission_duration  = 2.5 years (planned)<br/>{{time interval|9 August 1975 1:48:00|18 January 1986}} (achieved)

| spacecraft_bus    = 
| manufacturer      = 
| launch_mass       = 
| dry_mass          = 
| power             = 

| launch_date       = 9 August 1975, 01:48:00 UTC
| launch_rocket     = [[Delta 2913]]
| launch_site       = [[Vandenberg Air Force Base]], [[Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 2|SLC-2W]]
| decay_date        = 18 January 1986

| orbit_reference   = [[Geocentric orbit]]
| orbit_regime      = [[Low Earth orbit]]
| orbit_periapsis   = 
| orbit_apoapsis    = 
| orbit_inclination = 
| orbit_period      = 
| apsis             = gee

| instrument_type   = 
| instruments       = 

| insignia          = 
}}

'''COS-B''' (Celestial Observation Satellite B) <ref>https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/cos-b.htm</ref> was the first [[European Space Research Organisation]] (ESRO) mission to [[Gamma-ray astronomy|study 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 by [[NASA]] on behalf of the [[ESRO]] 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 the [[Second Cambridge Catalogue of Radio Sources|2CG Catalogue]] listing around 25 gamma ray sources and a map of the [[Milky Way]]. The satellite also observed the [[X-ray binary]] [[Cygnus X-3]].

== Launch ==
[[File:Delta_2913_launch_COS-B.jpg|thumb|The launch of COS-B from [[Vandenberg Air Force Base]].]]

COS-B was launched from [[Vandenberg Air Force Base]] on 9 August 1975 on a Delta 2913 rocket.

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Portal|Spaceflight}}
* [http://www.esa.int/esaSC/120375_index_0_m.html Cos-B overview at esa.int]
* [http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/area/index.cfm?fareaid=34 Cos-B overview at ESA science & technology pages]
* [http://www.rssd.esa.int/index.php?project=COSB&page=sci-result Scientific results of Cos-B at ESA]
* [http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/cosb/cosb_about.html Cos-B overview at NASA]

{{commonscat|COS-B}}
{{Space observatories}}
{{European Space Agency}}
{{Orbital launches in 1975}}

[[Category:European Space Agency satellites]]
[[Category:Space telescopes]]
[[Category:1975 in spaceflight]]
[[Category:Gamma-ray telescopes]]
[[Category:Spacecraft launched in 1975]]

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