22 September - Safety first
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.
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
5
metres high
4
tonnes
4
scientific instruments
2
decades of operation
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24 September - Start of combined operations
Integral flight hardware is now for the first time mated to Proton flight hardware. The SAAB separation system lower part has been bolted on top of the Russian made Proton adaptor, especially built for Integral.
20 September - Proton preparations on track
The Proton team is completing the assembly of the launcher while the fuelling team is busy with final readiness checks prior to fuelling the satellite.
19 September - Functional tests completed
The functional tests of the satellite have now been completed and the satellite is ready for fuelling. Today, the spacecraft will be rolled into the fuelling hall, where the fuel (hydrazine) will be loaded into the spacecraft's four titanium tanks.
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Flying spacecraft means staying curious: Jutta Hübner at ESOC
Flying spacecraft means staying curious: Jutta Hübner at ESOC
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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.
Integral operations
Editor's note: The Integral mission concluded its active science phase in March 2025. The spacecraft will continue to be actively monitored until its atmospheric reentry in 2029.This page is no longer being updated, but will be preserved as a record of the mission's remarkable achievements and scientific contributions over the last two decades. All Integral data will remain accessible for future research and analysis in the ESA science archives.“Thanks a lot, Integral, for all the great science and discoveries. We are excited to accompany you on the final stage of your journey, all the way to your reentry in 2029!” - Integral Spacecraft Operations Manager, Dr Jutta Huebner.Thank you for your support and interest in the Integral mission!
