INTEGRAL - status of the mission

TL;DR

INTEGRAL, launched in 2002, is a successful ESA gamma-ray observatory providing valuable data on high-energy astrophysical phenomena, with ongoing operations and extensive scientific results beyond its initial design lifetime.

Contribution

This paper reports the current technical status and scientific achievements of INTEGRAL, highlighting its extended operational period and ongoing scientific programs.

Findings

Continued successful scientific operations beyond 5 years.

Rich discoveries in gamma-ray astrophysics.

Ongoing and planned legacy programs.

Abstract

The ESA gamma-ray observatory INTEGRAL, launched on 17 October 2002, continues to produce a wealth of discoveries and new results on compact high energy Galactic objects, nuclear gamma-ray line emission, diffuse line and continuum emission, cosmic background radiation, AGN, high energy transients and sky surveys. The mission's technical status is healthy and INTEGRAL is continuing its scientific operations well beyond its 5-year technical design lifetime until, at least, 31 December 2014. This paper describes the current status of INTEGRAL including the spacecraft technical state-of-health and the scientific observing programme including its on-going and future multi-year "legacy" programmes.