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Integral – tracking extreme radiation across the Universe

2 October 2002

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The task of Integral, ESA's International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory, is to gather the most energetic radiation that comes from space. The spacecraft was launched October 2002 and will help to solve some of the biggest mysteries in astronomy. Gamma rays are even more powerful than the X-rays used in medical examinations. Fortunately, the Earth's atmosphere acts as a shield to protect us from this dangerous cosmic radiation. However this means that gamma rays from space can only be detected by satellites. Integral is currently the most sensitive gamma-ray observatory ever launched. It detects radiation from the most violent events far away and from processes that made the Universe habitable.

Credits: ESA. Illustration by D. Ducros

Exploring the turbulent Universe

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Gigantic black holes, the size of our Solar System, are thought to lurk in the hearts of most galaxies.

Credits: ESA 2002/Medialab

Integral’s instruments

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Integral will have two such detectors on board: an imager and a spectrometer. These instruments are supported by two monitor instruments: an X-ray monitor and an optical camera. All four instruments are co-aligned and will observe the same region of the sky simultaneously. This allows scientists to clearly identify gamma-ray sources, a key feature in studying high-energy processes in the violent Universe.

All instruments are provided by large collaborations encompassing many scientific institutes in the ESA member states, United States, Russia, Czech Republic and Poland. Principal investigators in different European countries lead the nationally funded collaborations.

Credits: ESA

Integral's orbit and operations

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Integral will provide new insights into the most violent and exotic objects of the Universe, such as black holes, neutron stars, active galactic nuclei and supernovae. Integral also will help us to understand processes such as the formation of new chemical elements and the mysterious gamma-ray bursts, the most energetic phenomena in the Universe.
Integral will be launched by a Proton rocket, Russia's largest operational launch vehicle. A powerful launcher is absolutely essential to put the heavy spacecraft into an unusually high Earth orbit which is crucial for the scientific success of the mission.

Credits: ESA 2002-D.Ducros

Building Integral

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Integral during one of many vibration tests

Integral was subjected to a series of vibration tests at the European Space Agency's testing centre at ESTEC in the Netherlands during September 2001.

Credits: Photo ESA taken by: MoaR

Note to editors: historical perspective on gamma-ray astronomy

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Intense sources of gamma rays lie in the centre of our own Galaxy. Results from INTEGRAL, like the image simulated here, may answer the question: is there a giant black hole in the centre of the Milky Way?

Credits: University Birmingham and IBIS team, INTEGRAL (ESA); infrared background, IRAS/IPAC and Skyview/NASA

Integral diary from our man in Baikonur Space delivers the Philosopher's Stone ESA Science Media Day: Rosetta and Integral getting ready for launch Extreme machine simulates space conditions Integral Science Data Centre to be presented to the press