Amptek SDDs on NICER. Credits: NASA/Keith Gendreau
August 2017. The Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer, or NICER, is the first NASA mission dedicated to studying pulsars. In a nod to the 50th anniversary of Jocelyn Bell’s discovery, NICER observed the famous first pulsar, known today as PSR B1919+21. NICER launched to the International Space Station in early June and started science operations in July.
For an overview of the NICER mission, please see this presentation.