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June 24, 2021 article Open access Aachen paper

INTEGRAL reloaded: Spacecraft, instruments and ground system

New Astronomy Reviews, vol. 93, pp. 101629

DOI: 10.1016/j.newar.2021.101629 Full text (OA) OpenAlex

Abstract

The European Space Agency’s INTErnational Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (ESA/INTEGRAL) was launched aboard a Proton-DM2 rocket on 17 October 2002 at 06:41 CEST, from Baikonur in Kazakhstan. Since then, INTEGRAL has been providing long, uninterrupted observations (up to about 47 h, or 170 ksec, per satellite orbit of 2.7 days) with a large field-of-view (FOV, fully coded: 100 deg2), millisecond time resolution, keV energy resolution, polarization measurements, as well as additional wavelength coverage at optical wavelengths. This is realized by two main instruments in the 15 keV to 10 MeV energy range, the spectrometer SPI (spectral resolution 3 keV at 1.8 MeV) and the imager IBIS (angular resolution: 12 arcmin FWHM), complemented by X-ray (JEM-X; 3–35 keV) and optical (OMC; Johnson V-band) monitor instruments. All instruments are co-aligned to simultaneously observe the target region. A particle radiation monitor (IREM) measures charged particle fluxes near the spacecraft. The Anti-coincidence subsystems of the main instruments, built to reduce the background, are also very efficient all-sky γ-ray detectors, which provide virtually omni-directional monitoring above ∼75 keV. Besides the long, scheduled observations, INTEGRAL can rapidly (within a couple of hours) re-point and conduct Target of Opportunity (ToO) observations on a large variety of sources. INTEGRAL observations and their scientific results have been building an impressive legacy: The discovery of currently more than 600 new high-energy sources; the first-ever direct detection of 56Ni and 56Co radio-active decay lines from a Type Ia supernova; spectroscopy of isotopes from galactic nucleo-synthesis sources; new insights on enigmatic positron annihilation in the Galactic bulge and disk; and pioneering gamma-ray polarization studies. INTEGRAL is also a successful actor in the new multi-messenger astronomy introduced by non-electromagnetic signals from gravitational waves and from neutrinos: INTEGRAL found the first prompt electromagnetic radiation in coincidence with a binary neutron star merger. Up to now more than 1750 scientific papers based on INTEGRAL data have been published in refereed journals. In this paper, we will give a comprehensive update of the satellite status after more than 18 years of operations in a harsh space environment, and an account of the successful Ground Segment.

Authors 79

  1. Erik Kuulkers A corresponding

    European Space Agency · European Space Research and Technology Centre

    Affiliation as printed

    European Space Agency (ESA), European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), Keplerlaan 1, 2201 AZ Noordwijk, The Netherlands

  2. C. Ferrigno

    University of Geneva · Swiss Institute of Comparative Law

    Affiliation as printed

    ISDC/University of Geneva, Chemin d’Écogia 16, 1290 Versoix, Switzerland

  3. Peter Kretschmar

    European Space Agency · European Space Astronomy Centre

    Affiliation as printed

    European Space Agency (ESA), European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC), Camino Bajo del Castillo s/n, 28692 Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid, Spain

  4. J. Alfonso-Garzón

    Centro de Astrobiología

    Affiliation as printed

    Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC–INTA), 28692, Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid, Spain

  5. Marius Baab

    European Space Operations Centre · European Space Agency

    Affiliation as printed

    TPZ Vega for the European Space Agency (ESA), European Space Operations Centre (ESOC), Robert-Bosch-Straße 5, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany

  6. A. Bazzano

    National Institute for Astrophysics

    Affiliation as printed

    INAF, IAPS, Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy

  7. G. Bélanger

    European Space Agency · European Space Astronomy Centre

    Affiliation as printed

    European Space Agency (ESA), European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC), Camino Bajo del Castillo s/n, 28692 Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid, Spain

  8. Ian Benson

    European Space Operations Centre · European Space Agency

    Affiliation as printed

    SERCO for the European Space Agency (ESA), European Space Operations Centre (ESOC), Robert-Bosch-Straße 5, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany

  9. E. Bozzo

    University of Geneva · Swiss Institute of Comparative Law

    Affiliation as printed

    ISDC/University of Geneva, Chemin d’Écogia 16, 1290 Versoix, Switzerland

  10. Søren K. Brandt

    DTU Space · Technical University of Denmark

    Affiliation as printed

    DTU Space—National Space Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Elektrovej 327-328, DK-2800, Lyngby, Denmark

  11. Elliott Coe

    European Space Operations Centre · European Space Agency

    Affiliation as printed

    TPZ Vega for the European Space Agency (ESA), European Space Operations Centre (ESOC), Robert-Bosch-Straße 5, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany

  12. I. Caballero

    European Space Agency · European Space Astronomy Centre

    Affiliation as printed

    Aurora Technology for the European Space Agency (ESA), European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC), Camino Bajo del Castillo s/n, 28692 Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid, Spain

  13. F. Cangemi

    Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Paris Cité · Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives · Université Paris-Saclay · Astrophysique, Instrumentation et Modélisation

    Affiliation as printed

    Laboratoire AIM, CEA/CNRS/Université Paris-Saclay, Université de Paris, Orme des Merisiers, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France

  14. J. Chenevez

    DTU Space · Technical University of Denmark

    Affiliation as printed

    DTU Space—National Space Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Elektrovej 327-328, DK-2800, Lyngby, Denmark

  15. B. Cenko

    Goddard Space Flight Center · Joint Space Science Institute · University of Maryland, College Park

    Affiliation as printed

    Astrophysics Science Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Mail Code 661, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA

    Joint Space-Science Institute, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA

  16. Nebil Cinar

    European Space Operations Centre · European Space Agency

    Affiliation as printed

    TPZ Vega for the European Space Agency (ESA), European Space Operations Centre (ESOC), Robert-Bosch-Straße 5, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany

  17. A. Coleiro

    Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Paris Cité · Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives · Observatoire de Paris · Laboratoire AstroParticule et Cosmologie

    Affiliation as printed

    Lab. Astroparticule et Cosmologie, CNRS, Université de Paris, CEA, Observatoire de Paris, 10 rue Alice Domon et Léonie Duquet, 75013, Paris, France

  18. Stefano De Padova

    European Space Operations Centre · European Space Agency

    Affiliation as printed

    SERCO for the European Space Agency (ESA), European Space Operations Centre (ESOC), Robert-Bosch-Straße 5, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany

  19. Roland Diehl

    Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics

    Affiliation as printed

    Max Planck Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, D-85748 Garching, Germany

  20. Claudia Dietze

    European Space Operations Centre · European Space Agency

    Affiliation as printed

    CS for the European Space Agency (ESA) , European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) , Robert-Bosch-Straße 5 , 64293 Darmstadt , Germany

  21. A. Domingo

    Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas

    Affiliation as printed

    Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA) , 28692 , Villanueva de la Cañada , Madrid , Spain

  22. Mark Drapes

    European Space Operations Centre · European Space Agency

    Affiliation as printed

    TPZ Vega for the European Space Agency (ESA) , European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) , Robert-Bosch-Straße 5 , 64293 Darmstadt , Germany

  23. Eleonora D’uva
  24. Matthias Ehle

    European Space Agency · European Space Astronomy Centre

    Affiliation as printed

    European Space Agency (ESA) , European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC) , Camino Bajo del Castillo s/n , 28692 Villanueva de la Cañada , Madrid , Spain

  25. Jacobo Ebrero

    European Space Agency · European Space Astronomy Centre

    Affiliation as printed

    Telespazio UK for the European Space Agency (ESA) , European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC) , Camino Bajo del Castillo s/n , 28692 Villanueva de la Cañada , Madrid , Spain

  26. Mithrajith Edirimanne

    European Space Operations Centre · European Space Agency

    Affiliation as printed

    TPZ Vega for the European Space Agency (ESA) , European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) , Robert-Bosch-Straße 5 , 64293 Darmstadt , Germany

  27. Н. А. Эйсмонт

    Space Research Institute

    Affiliation as printed

    Space Research Institute , Russian Academy of Science , Profsoyuznaya 84/32 , 117997 Moscow , Russia

  28. Timothy J. Finn

    European Space Operations Centre · European Space Agency

    Affiliation as printed

    TPZ Vega for the European Space Agency (ESA) , European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) , Robert-Bosch-Straße 5 , 64293 Darmstadt , Germany

  29. M. Fiocchi

    Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology · National Institute for Astrophysics

    Affiliation as printed

    INAF, IAPS , Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100 , 00133 Rome , Italy

  30. Elena Garcia Tomas

    European Space Operations Centre · European Space Agency

    Affiliation as printed

    LSE Space for the European Space Agency (ESA) , European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) , Robert-Bosch-Straße 5 , 64293 Darmstadt , Germany

  31. Gianluca Gaudenzi

    European Space Operations Centre · European Space Agency

    Affiliation as printed

    SCISYS for the European Space Agency (ESA) , European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) , Robert-Bosch-Straße 5 , 64293 Darmstadt , Germany

  32. Thomas Godard

    European Space Operations Centre

    Affiliation as printed

    Rhea for the European Space Agency (ESA) , European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) , Robert-Bosch-Straße 5 , 64293 Darmstadt , Germany

  33. Andrea Goldwurm

    Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Paris Cité · Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives · CEA Paris-Saclay · Institut de Recherche sur les Lois Fondamentales de l'Univers

    Affiliation as printed

    Département d'Astrophysique , IRFU/CEA Saclay , F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette , France

    Université de Paris , CNRS , AstroParticule et Cosmologie , F-75013 , Paris , France

  34. Diego Götz

    Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives · Université Paris-Saclay · Astrophysique, Instrumentation et Modélisation · CEA Paris-Saclay

    Affiliation as printed

    Laboratoire AIM , CEA / CNRS / Université Paris-Saclay , Université de Paris , Orme des Merisiers , 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette , France

  35. Christian Gouiffès

    Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives · Université Paris-Saclay · Astrophysique, Instrumentation et Modélisation · CEA Paris-Saclay

    Affiliation as printed

    Laboratoire AIM , CEA / CNRS / Université Paris-Saclay , Université de Paris , Orme des Merisiers , 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette , France

  36. Sergei A. Grebenev

    Space Research Institute

    Affiliation as printed

    Space Research Institute , Russian Academy of Science , Profsoyuznaya 84/32 , 117997 Moscow , Russia

  37. J. Greiner

    Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics

    Affiliation as printed

    Max Planck Institut für extraterrestrische Physik , D-85748 Garching , Germany

  38. Aleksandra Gros

    Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives · Université Paris-Saclay · Astrophysique, Instrumentation et Modélisation · CEA Paris-Saclay

    Affiliation as printed

    Laboratoire AIM , CEA / CNRS / Université Paris-Saclay , Université de Paris , Orme des Merisiers , 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette , France

  39. L. Hanlon

    University College Dublin

    Affiliation as printed

    School of Physics & Centre for Space Research , University College Dublin , Belfield , Dublin 4 , Ireland

  40. Wim Hermsen Aachen SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research

    Space Research Organisation Netherlands · University of Amsterdam

    Affiliation as printed

    Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy , University of Amsterdam , Science Park 904 , NL-1098 XH Amsterdam , The Netherlands

    SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research , Sorbonnelaan 2 , NL-3584 , CA Utrecht , The Netherlands

  41. Margarita Hernanz

    Institute of Space Sciences

    Affiliation as printed

    Institut de Ciències de l'Espai (CSIC-IEEC) and IEEC , Campus UAB , Carrer de Can Magrans s/n , 08193 Bellaterra , Barcelona , Spain

  42. Elisabeth Jourdain

    Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier · Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie · Université de Toulouse

    Affiliation as printed

    CNRS , Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie (IRAP) , 9 Av. colonel Roche , BP 44346 , F-31028 Toulouse cedex 4 , France

    Université de Toulouse , UPS-OMP , IRAP , Toulouse , France

  43. Giovanni La Rosa
  44. Claudio Labanti

    Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio · National Institute for Astrophysics

    Affiliation as printed

    INAF -OAS , Via P. Gobetti 101 , 40129 Bologna , Italy

  45. Philippe Laurent

    Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Paris Cité · Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives · Observatoire de Paris · Laboratoire AstroParticule et Cosmologie

    Affiliation as printed

    Lab. Astroparticule et Cosmologie , CNRS , Université de Paris , CEA , Observatoire de Paris , 10 rue Alice Domon et Léonie Duquet , 75013 , Paris , France

  46. Alexander Lehanka

    European Space Operations Centre · European Space Agency

    Affiliation as printed

    TPZ Vega for the European Space Agency (ESA) , European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) , Robert-Bosch-Straße 5 , 64293 Darmstadt , Germany

  47. N. Lund

    DTU Space · Technical University of Denmark

    Affiliation as printed

    DTU Space-National Space Institute , Technical University of Denmark , Elektrovej 327-328 , DK-2800 , Lyngby , Denmark

  48. James Madison

    European Space Operations Centre · European Space Agency

    Affiliation as printed

    TPZ Vega for the European Space Agency (ESA) , European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) , Robert-Bosch-Straße 5 , 64293 Darmstadt , Germany

  49. J. Malzac

    Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier · Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie · Université de Toulouse

    Affiliation as printed

    CNRS , Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie (IRAP) , 9 Av. colonel Roche , BP 44346 , F-31028 Toulouse cedex 4 , France

    Université de Toulouse , UPS-OMP , IRAP , Toulouse , France

  50. Jim Martin

    European Space Operations Centre · European Space Agency

    Affiliation as printed

    TPZ Vega for the European Space Agency (ESA) , European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) , Robert-Bosch-Straße 5 , 64293 Darmstadt , Germany

  51. J. M. Más-Hesse

    Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas

    Affiliation as printed

    Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA) , 28692 , Villanueva de la Cañada , Madrid , Spain

  52. Brian McBreen

    University College Dublin

    Affiliation as printed

    School of Physics , University College , Dublin 4 , Ireland

  53. Alastair McDonald

    European Space Operations Centre · European Space Agency

    Affiliation as printed

    CGI for the European Space Agency (ESA) , European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) , Robert-Bosch-Straße 5 , 64293 Darmstadt , Germany

  54. Julie McEnery

    Goddard Space Flight Center

    Affiliation as printed

    Astrophysics Science Division , NASA Goddard Space Flight Center , Mail Code 661 , Greenbelt , MD 20771 , USA

  55. Sandro Mereghetti

    National Institute for Astrophysics

    Affiliation as printed

    INAF , IASF-Milano , via A. Corti 12 , I-20133 Milano , Italy

  56. L. Natalucci

    Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology · National Institute for Astrophysics

    Affiliation as printed

    INAF, IAPS , Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100 , 00133 Rome , Italy

  57. Jan‐Uwe Ness

    European Space Agency · European Space Astronomy Centre

    Affiliation as printed

    European Space Agency (ESA) , European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC) , Camino Bajo del Castillo s/n , 28692 Villanueva de la Cañada , Madrid , Spain

  58. Carol Anne Oxborrow

    DTU Space · Technical University of Denmark

    Affiliation as printed

    DTU Space-National Space Institute , Technical University of Denmark , Elektrovej 327-328 , DK-2800 , Lyngby , Denmark

  59. S. B. Peschke

    European Space Operations Centre · European Space Agency

    Affiliation as printed

    European Space Agency (ESA) , European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) , Robert-Bosch-Straße 5 , 64293 Darmstadt , Germany

  60. Francesco Petrucciani

    European Space Operations Centre · European Space Agency

    Affiliation as printed

    CSSI for the European Space Agency (ESA) , European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) , Robert-Bosch-Straße 5 , 64293 Darmstadt , Germany

  61. Norbert Pfeil

    European Space Operations Centre · European Space Agency

    Affiliation as printed

    TERMA for the European Space Agency (ESA) , European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) , Robert-Bosch-Straße 5 , 64293 Darmstadt , Germany

  62. Michael Reichenbaecher

    European Space Operations Centre · European Space Agency

    Affiliation as printed

    TPZ Vega for the European Space Agency (ESA) , European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) , Robert-Bosch-Straße 5 , 64293 Darmstadt , Germany

  63. J. Rodi

    Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology · National Institute for Astrophysics

    Affiliation as printed

    INAF, IAPS , Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100 , 00133 Rome , Italy

  64. J. P. Roques

    Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier · Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie · Université de Toulouse

    Affiliation as printed

    CNRS , Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie (IRAP) , 9 Av. colonel Roche , BP 44346 , F-31028 Toulouse cedex 4 , France

    Université de Toulouse , UPS-OMP , IRAP , Toulouse , France

  65. Dave Salt

    European Space Operations Centre · European Space Agency

    Affiliation as printed

    TPZ Vega for the European Space Agency (ESA) , European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) , Robert-Bosch-Straße 5 , 64293 Darmstadt , Germany

  66. C. Sánchez‐Fernández

    European Space Agency · European Space Astronomy Centre

    Affiliation as printed

    ATG Europe for the European Space Agency (ESA) , European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC) , Camino Bajo del Castillo s/n , 28692 Villanueva de la Cañada , Madrid , Spain

  67. Aymeric Sauvageon

    Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives · Université Paris-Saclay · Astrophysique, Instrumentation et Modélisation · CEA Paris-Saclay

    Affiliation as printed

    Laboratoire AIM , CEA / CNRS / Université Paris-Saclay , Université de Paris , Orme des Merisiers , 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette , France

  68. V. Savchenko

    University of Geneva · Swiss Institute of Comparative Law

    Affiliation as printed

    ISDC / University of Geneva , Chemin d'Écogia 16 , 1290 Versoix , Switzerland

  69. Sergey Yu. Sazonov

    Space Research Institute

    Affiliation as printed

    Space Research Institute , Russian Academy of Science , Profsoyuznaya 84/32 , 117997 Moscow , Russia

  70. Stefano Scaglioni

    European Space Operations Centre · European Space Agency

    Affiliation as printed

    European Space Agency (ESA) , European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) , Robert-Bosch-Straße 5 , 64293 Darmstadt , Germany

  71. N. Schartel

    European Space Agency · European Space Astronomy Centre

    Affiliation as printed

    European Space Agency (ESA) , European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC) , Camino Bajo del Castillo s/n , 28692 Villanueva de la Cañada , Madrid , Spain

  72. Thomas Siegert

    University of California San Diego

    Affiliation as printed

    Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences , University of California , San Diego , 9500 Gilman Dr , 92093-0424 , La Jolla , USA

  73. Richard T. Southworth

    European Space Operations Centre · European Space Agency

    Affiliation as printed

    European Space Agency (ESA) , European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) , Robert-Bosch-Straße 5 , 64293 Darmstadt , Germany

  74. R. Sunyaev

    Space Research Institute

    Affiliation as printed

    Space Research Institute , Russian Academy of Science , Profsoyuznaya 84/32 , 117997 Moscow , Russia

  75. P. Ubertini

    Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology · National Institute for Astrophysics

    Affiliation as printed

    INAF, IAPS , Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100 , 00133 Rome , Italy

  76. A. von Kienlin

    Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics

    Affiliation as printed

    Max Planck Institut für extraterrestrische Physik , D-85748 Garching , Germany

  77. Nikolai von Krusenstiern

    European Space Operations Centre · European Space Agency

    Affiliation as printed

    TPZ Vega for the European Space Agency (ESA) , European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) , Robert-Bosch-Straße 5 , 64293 Darmstadt , Germany

  78. Christoph Winkler

    European Space Agency · European Space Research and Technology Centre

    Affiliation as printed

    . INTERnational Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory - INTE- GRAL

    European Space Agency (ESA) , European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) , Keplerlaan 1 , 2201 AZ Noordwijk , The Netherlands

  79. Ugo Zannoni

    Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology · National Institute for Astrophysics

    Affiliation as printed

    INAF, IAPS , Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100 , 00133 Rome , Italy

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References 75