This week in 2008, the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope, formerly Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope, a major NASA mission dedicated to observations of high-energy gamma rays, launched. The Gamma-ray Burst Monitor, which is a collaborative effort between the National Space Science and Technology Center and the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Germany, complements the Large Area Telescope with its observations of transient sources and is sensitive to X-rays and gamma rays with energies between 8,000 and 40,000,000 electron volts. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center manages the National Space Science and Technology Center, which is based on the campus of the University of Alabama in Huntsville. NASA’s exploration spans the universe, observing the sun and its effects on Earth; delving deep into our solar system; looking beyond to worlds around other stars; and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe. The NASA History Program is responsible for generating, disseminating and preserving NASA’s remarkable history and providing a comprehensive understanding of the institutional, cultural, social, political, economic, technological and scientific aspects of the agency’s activities in aeronautics and space. For more pictures like this one and to connect to NASA’s history, visit the History Program’s webpage.
Image credit: NASA