Page 28 - Italy In Space

Space Astronomy

August 9, 1975. Launch of COS-B, the first ESA scientific mission to investigate the sources of
extraterrestrial gamma radiation at energies above 30 MeV. The mission, that had been first studied in
the late ‟60 by ESRO, is launched from Lompoc, NASA's Western Test Range, with a Thor Delta
missile. Nearly 50% of the celestial sphere was investigated by COS-B that listed 25 sources of
gamma ray bursts and mapped the Milky Way. Commemorative launch cover postmarked on the day
of launch at the nearest military post office, inside the Vanbenberg Air Force Base.

May 26, 1983. Launch of EXOSAT (European X-ray Observatory Satellite), the continuation of the
COS-B mission. In 3 years it registers 1780 observations of most classes of astronomical object
including active galactic nuclei, stellar coronae, cataclysmic variables, white dwarfs, x-ray binaries,
clusters of galaxies, and supernova remnants. Commemorative launch cover postmarked on the day of
launch at the nearest military post office, within the Vanbenberg AFB, with the new double-ring cancel

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