ESA title

The mission

Integral was the first space observatory to simultaneously observe objects in gamma rays, X-rays, and visible light. Its principal targets were violent explosions known as gamma-ray bursts, powerful phenomena such as supernova explosions, and regions in the Universe thought to contain black holes.

 

  • Launch: 17 October 2002
  • Mission end: 28 February 2025
  • Orbit: highly elliptical around Earth
  • Observed: gamma rays, X-rays, visible light
  • Targets: gamma-ray bursts, black holes, supernovae
Integral
Using Earth as a shield
Science & Exploration

Integral looks at Earth to seek source of cosmic radiation

10/02/2006 1474 views 1 likes
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Radioactive decay as measured by Integral from Al 26 decay, and the signature of galactic rotation.
Science & Exploration

Integral identifies supernova rate for Milky Way

04/01/2006 5905 views 3 likes
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Integral views annihilation in our galaxy
Science & Exploration

ESA’s Integral and XMM-Newton missions extended

05/12/2005 2309 views 0 likes
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Artist's impression of a  'supergiant fast X-ray transient'
Science & Exploration

Integral reveals new class of ‘supergiant’ X-ray binary sta…

16/11/2005 2816 views 1 likes
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Artist's view of Integral
Science & Exploration

Integral: three years of insight into the violent cosmos

17/10/2005 1485 views 1 likes
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Artist's impression of a pulsar 'eating' a companion star
Science & Exploration

Star eats companion

06/09/2005 8047 views 7 likes
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Artist's impression of neutron star IGR J16283-4838
Science & Exploration

Three satellites needed to bring out ‘shy star’

13/07/2005 2657 views 3 likes
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Science & Exploration

Integral rolls back history of Milky Way's super-massive bl…

28/01/2005 5296 views 11 likes
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Science & Exploration

Integral rolls back history of Milky Way's super-massive bl…

26/01/2005 668 views 1 likes
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An artist's impression of the Integral spacecraft
Science & Exploration

ESA's Integral detects closest cosmic gamma-ray burst

05/08/2004 4416 views 0 likes
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ESA's Integral solves thirty-year old gamma-ray mystery
Science & Exploration

ESA's Integral solves thirty-year old gamma-ray mystery

17/03/2004 2537 views 3 likes
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An artist's impression of the Integral spacecraft
Science & Exploration

ESA’s ‘rapid reaction force’

28/01/2004 1441 views 0 likes
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EPIC camera shows the expanding rings caused by a flash of X-rays
Science & Exploration

X-ray shout echoing through space

27/01/2004 1627 views 0 likes
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A portion of Integral's gamma-ray map of the galaxy
Science & Exploration

ESA's new view of the Milky Way - in gamma rays!

11/11/2003 2368 views 1 likes
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An artist's impression of the mechanisms in an interacting binary system
Science & Exploration

ESA's Integral discovers hidden black holes

20/10/2003 3165 views 2 likes
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Russian proton launcher takes off
Science & Exploration

Happy birthday, Integral!

15/10/2003 743 views 0 likes
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Artist's impression of a gamma-ray burst
Science & Exploration

A gamma-ray burst bonanza

24/03/2003 2506 views 11 likes
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Integral's gamma-ray eyes getting ready
Science & Exploration

ESA presents Integral's first images

11/12/2002 873 views 0 likes
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Integral's gamma-ray eyes getting ready
Science & Exploration

Everyone wants gamma-ray eyes!

29/10/2002 979 views 0 likes
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Integral's eccentric orbit
Science & Exploration

Integral makes its first measurements

24/10/2002 533 views 0 likes
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Integral launch
Science & Exploration

Europe opens a window onto a violent Universe

17/10/2002 891 views 0 likes
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Integral launch
Science & Exploration

Integral launch status reports

17/10/2002 1214 views 1 likes
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View of the Russian side of the bunker
Science & Exploration

15 October 2002

15/10/2002 964 views 0 likes
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Proton being moving into the vertical position
Science & Exploration

15 October 2002

15/10/2002 596 views 1 likes
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Proton rocket on the launch pad
Science & Exploration

ESA's Integral satellite ready for liftoff from Baikonur

15/10/2002 457 views 1 likes
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The MMS in operation at Mar del Plata, Argentina
Science & Exploration

14 October 2002

14/10/2002 665 views 0 likes
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12.10.02  Proton moving into the vertical position
Science & Exploration

12 October

14/10/2002 783 views 0 likes
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ESOC Main Control Room
Science & Exploration

8 - 10 October

11/10/2002 826 views 0 likes
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10.10.02  Mating of the Space Head Unit with the first three stages of the Proton
Science & Exploration

10 October - Rollout of the Space Head Unit

10/10/2002 209 views 0 likes
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Sputnik 1
Science & Exploration

30 September - 4 October

09/10/2002 1221 views 0 likes
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Proton rocket on the launch pad
Science & Exploration

ESA's Integral satellite ready for liftoff from Baikonur

07/10/2002 1270 views 0 likes
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29.09.02  Children in Baikonur smile for the camera
Science & Exploration

22 - 29 September

04/10/2002 708 views 0 likes
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Integral
Science & Exploration

Integral – tracking extreme radiation across the Universe

02/10/2002 2132 views 1 likes
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24.09.02  The separation system being lowered on top of the Proton adaptor
Science & Exploration

24 September - Start of combined operations

24/09/2002 126 views 0 likes
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Trying on an emergency hood
Science & Exploration

22 September - Safety first

24/09/2002 218 views 0 likes
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The Integral Payload Modules
Science & Exploration

1 September - Mating completed

23/09/2002 156 views 0 likes
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All smiles now testing successfully completed
Science & Exploration

19 September - Functional tests completed

23/09/2002 133 views 0 likes
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20.09.02  Close-up of the Proton fairing
Science & Exploration

20 September - Proton preparations on track

23/09/2002 210 views 0 likes
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The core fueling team
Science & Exploration

1 - 21 September

23/09/2002 1057 views 0 likes
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The Integral satellite safely arrives in Baikonur
Science & Exploration

17 - 30 August

30/08/2002 814 views 0 likes
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An artist's impression of a Philosopher's Stone
Science & Exploration

Space delivers the Philosopher's Stone

12/07/2002 2869 views 2 likes
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An artist's impression of the Integral spacecraft
Science & Exploration

ESA Science Media Day: Rosetta and Integral getting ready …

07/06/2002 944 views 0 likes
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ESA's gamma-ray detecting spacecraft Integral in the Large Space Simulator
Science & Exploration

Extreme machine simulates space conditions

07/05/2002 3994 views 18 likes
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An artist's impression of the Integral spacecraft
Science & Exploration

Integral Science Data Centre to be presented to the press

27/03/2002 917 views 0 likes
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