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24 SEP. 2002
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Now that the spacecraft is fully loaded the Integral team is undergoing a refresher course in safety measures. This is in case a major incident occurs caused by hydrazine leaking out of the spacecraft.
Team members working close to Integral need to have at hand either gas masks or emergency hoods connected to an air bottle for breathing. Further safety measures are carried out in the clean room.
Everyday, the major parts of the Reaction Control System on the spacecraft are 'sniffed' with a portable instrument that reacts to traces of hydrazine. A detector has also been mounted on the spacecraft support stand.
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Integral overview
Name: Integral (International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory)Status: Completed (launched on 17 October 2002, stopped collecting scientific data on 28 February 2025)Mission theme: Tracking violent events across the Universe
Integral science highlights
The International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (Integral) has provided unprecedented information about the Universe’s most exotic objects. It has revealed how matter behaves under extreme conditions and helped astronomers understand processes such as the formation of new chemical elements and mysterious gamma-ray bursts. These findings have been documented in an impressive, and growing, body of scientific and popular literature.
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Introducing our man in Baikonur
Philippe Sivac, responsible at ESA for Integral environmental testing, is even busier than usual as he has agreed to keep ESA Web Portal visitors posted on events at the Russian spaceport of Baikonur, in the run up to the Integral launch on Thursday, 17 October.
Launch Countdown rehearsal completed
The launch countdown rehearsal of Integral took place on 14 October. A two-day slot had been allocated for this, in case of problems, but the rehearsal went very smoothly and all activities, including battery recharging were completed by 17:00 local time on 14 October.
Proton ready on the pad
Proton, with Integral safely tucked away inside, is now on the launch pad ready for today's rehearsal of the launch countdown. After years of preparation everything is almost ready for Thursday’s launch.
Mobile Measurement Station ready
As staff from all over the world get ready for the launch, a small team made up of Eliseo Balaguer and Energia engineers are making the final preparations for the Mobile Measurement Station (MMS) in Argentina.
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