ESA - Integral - 8 - 10 October

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About Integral

The spacecraft The launcher The launch site - Baikonur The journey

Integral's mission

What's special?Why do we observe gamma rays?Observations: Seeing in the gamma-ray wavelengths The atoms that make us The densest objects in the Universe Giant black holes Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs)

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Article Images

8 - 10 October

11 October 2002

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The European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt, Germany is ESA's facility for controlling ESA satellites through the ESTRACK network of ground stations. The Main Control Room (MCR, shown here) is the heart of the Operations Control Centre, used to support launch campaigns and special spacecraft operations.

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The locomotive pulled the railcar with the SHU (The Space Head Unit made up of the Integral satellite, separation systems, adaptors, fairing and Proton upper stage), into the building. Once the locomotive exited on the other side of the building, the SHU was lifted and positionned for mating with the first three stages of the Proton. Integral is scheduled to be launched from Baikonur in Kazakhstan on 17 October 2002.

Credits: ESA/S.Corvaja

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The complete mated Proton launcher, with Integral safely inside the fairing. The fairing is connected to an air conditionning system. Once mated, ESA and Alenia engineers verified the correct electrical continuity between the upper stage and the bottom of the Proton rocket. This connection will be used later on the pad to communicate with the satellite, prior to liftoff. A test of the upper stage battery was also witnessed and yielded successful results. Integral is scheduled to be launched from Baikonur in Kazakhstan on 17 October 2002.

Credits: ESA/S.Corvaja

8 October

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The big red box in the center is a port for air cooling that is removed before flight.
Integral is scheduled for launch from Baikonur in Kazakhstan on 17 October 2002.

Credits: ESA-S.Corvaja

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The Integral logo, brought over from ESTEC, was fixed on 7 October.
Integral is scheduled for launch from Baikonur in Kazakhstan on 17 October 2002.

Credits: ESA-S.Corvaja

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Loading of the space head unit on the railcar on 8 October.
Integral is scheduled for launch from Baikonur in Kazakhstan on 17 October 2002.

Credits: ESA-S.Corvaja

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Fixing the space head unit to the railcar on 8 October.
Integral is scheduled for launch from Baikonur in Kazakhstan on 17 October 2002.

Credits: ESA-S.Corvaja

ESA's gamma-ray astronomy mission

Observations: Seeing in the gamma-ray wavelengths Observations: Seeing in X-ray wavelengths