Gamma-ray telescopes

The following table shows a compilation of gamma-ray telescopes that have been launched aboard of satellites.

Telescope
Satellite
Date
Energy Range
Objectives / Comments
 
Explorer 11
1961
  
22 gamma-ray photons !
 
Ranger 3&5
1962
20 keV - 3 MeV
cosmic gamma-ray background
 
OSO-1
1962-1963
50 keV - 3 MeV
Compton telescope
 
OGO 1
1964-1971
80 keV - 1 MeV
Sun (gamma-ray busts a posteriori)
 
COSMOS 60
1965
500 keV - 2 MeV
cosmic gamma-ray background
 
ORS 3
1965
30 keV - 10 MeV
high background
 
Proton 1
1965
> 50 MeV
 
 
Proton 2
1965-1966
> 50 MeV
 
 
COSMOS 135
1966
400 keV - 2.5 MeV
 
 
Luna 10&12
1966
300 keV - 3 MeV
cosmic gamma-ray background
 
OGO 3
1966-1972
 
 
 
COSMOS 160
1967
300 keV - 3.7 MeV
 
 
ORS 4
1967-1968
250 keV - 6 MeV
cosmic gamma-ray spectrum
 
OSO-3
1967-1969
 > 50 MeV
621 gamma-ray photons
 
OGO 5
1968-1972
25 - 100 MeV
galactic plane
XC
Vela 5A,B
1969-1979
150 - 750 keV
gamma-ray burst discovery
 
Vela 6A,B
1970-1979
300 keV - 1.5 MeV
gamma-ray burst discovery
 
COSMOS 461
1971
28 keV - 4.1 MeV
gamma-ray bursts, cosmic gamma-ray background
 
IMP 6
1971-1972
53 - 1150 keV
solar flares, gamma-ray bursts
SIGNE 1
Prognoz 2
1972
400 keV - 11.8 MeV
Sun, gamma-ray bursts
MIMOSA
TD-1A
1972-1973
70 - 300 MeV
high background
 
SAS-2
1972-1973
20 MeV - 1 GeV
galactic emission, pulsars
 
IMP 7
1972-1978
53 - 1150 keV
gamma-ray bursts
 
Radsat
1972-1973
1972-1973
gamma-ray burst spectroscopy
 
COS-B
1975-1982
70 MeV - 5 GeV
pulsars, diffuse emission
99-2M
COSMOS 856
1976
100 MeV - 4 GeV
diffuse gamma-ray sky
 
Solrad 11A/B
1976-1977
200 keV - 2 MeV
gamma-ray bursts
 
Helios 2
1976-1981
60 keV - 1.5 MeV
gamma-ray bursts
SIGNE II MP
Prognoz 6
1977-1978
20 keV - 3 MeV
gamma-ray bursts
A4
HEAO-1
1977-1979
15 keV-10 MeV
sources, diffuse emission
 
SIGNE 3
1977-1979
20 keV - 10 MeV
gamma-ray bursts
 
Pioneer Venus
1978-1992
100 keV - 2 MeV
gamma-ray bursts
SIGNE 2
Venera 11,12
1978-1980
50 keV - 3 MeV
gamma-ray bursts
KONUS
Venera 11,12
1978-1980
30 keV - 2 MeV
gamma-ray bursts
SIGNE 2
Prognoz 7
1978-1979
50 keV - 3 MeV
gamma-ray bursts
 
ISEE 3
1978-
200 keV - 3 MeV
gamma-ray bursts
 
COSMOS 1106
1979
 
 
HEAO-C
HEAO-3
1979-1981
50 keV - 10 MeV
 gamma-ray lines
GRS
SMM
1980-1989
300 keV - 9 MeV
gamma-ray bursts, Sun, gamma-ray lines
KONUS
Venera 13,14
1981-1983
30 keV - 2 MeV
gamma-ray bursts
SIGNE II M P-9
Prognoz 9
1983-1984
40 keV - 8 MeV 
gamma-ray bursts
SIGMA
GRANAT
1989-1999
35 keV - 1 MeV
compact objects, pulsars
Gamma-1
Gamma
1990-1992
50 MeV - 6 GeV
pulsars, binaries, Sun
BATSE
CGRO
1991-2000
15 keV - 1 MeV
gamma-ray bursts, transients
OSSE
CGRO
1991-2000
100 keV - 10 MeV
 gamma-ray lines , pulsars, X-ray binaries
COMPTEL
CGRO
1991-2000
700 keV - 30 MeV
gamma-ray lines , pulsars, AGNs, diffuse emission
EGRET
CGRO
1991-2000
30 MeV - 30 GeV
AGNs, pulsars, diffuse emission
 
SROSS 3
1992
20 keV - 1 MeV
gamma-ray bursts
KONUS
GGS-WIND
1994-
10 keV - 10 MeV
gamma-ray bursts
TGRS
GGS-WIND
1994-
25 keV - 8 MeV
gamma-ray bursts, gamma-ray lines
PDS
 BeppoSAX
 1996-2003
 15 - 300 keV
 AGNs, compact objects, gamma-ray bursts
 
HETE-2
2000-
0.5 - 400 keV
gamma-ray bursts
 
RHESSI
2002-
3 keV - 20 MeV
sun, gamma-ray lines
IBIS
INTEGRAL
2002-
20 keV - 10 MeV
compact objects, pulsars
SPI
INTEGRAL
2002-
20 keV - 8 MeV
gamma-ray lines, compact objects
 
SWIFT
2004-
0.2 - 150 keV
gamma-ray bursts, compact objects
 
AGILE
2006
30 MeV - 50 GeV
in preparation
 
GLAST
2007
10 MeV - 100 GeV
in preparation

MAX
 2010
 450-540 / 800-920 keV
 in planning

GRI
 ?
 50 keV - 2 MeV
 in planning

And if you have a satellite out there, you might want to know what the space weather is like ...

Jürgen Knödlseder, CESR, 8-9-2005