The Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) is a fourth-generation instrument to be installed on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) during the 2008 servicing mission. COS is designed to perform high sensitivity, moderate- and low-resolution spectroscopy of astronomical objects in the 1150-3200 Å wavelength range. COS will significantly enhance the spectroscopic capabilities of HST at ultraviolet wavelengths, and will provide observers with unparalleled opportunities for observing faint sources of ultraviolet light.

The primary science objectives of the mission are the study of the origins of large scale structure in the Universe, the formation and evolution of galaxies, the origin of stellar and planetary systems, and the cold interstellar medium.

More information and documentation on the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph can be found at CASA, the University of Colorado's Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy, Ball Aerospace, and the Experimental Astrophysics Group at the University of California - Berkeley.