INTEGRAL Instrument Problems Threaten Launch Schedule

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INTEGRAL Instrument Problems Threaten Launch Schedule

More Information:

Proton Data Sheet

European Space Agency (ESA) reported that problems with several instruments intended for the INTEGRAL spacecraft are putting pressure on next year's planned launch of the gamma-ray observatory. At a science working group meeting held in the Netherlands a new timetable was agreed to for the delivery of three instruments. The new schedule will give the teams working on the instruments more time to complete them while still preserving the planned April 2002 launch of the spacecraft, but the new schedule, offers little margin for error if additional problems develop.

One of the instruments, the Imager on Board the INTEGRAL Satellite (IBIS), is now scheduled for delivery to prime contractor Alenia Aerospazio in late March. The other two instruments, the Joint European X-Ray Monitor (JEM-X) and the Spectrometer on INTEGRAL (SPI), are scheduled for delivery in early May. All three instruments have been plagued with technical problems during their development.

The three instruments, along with an optical camera that has already been completed, comprise the scientific payload of INTEGRAL. They will be mounted on a spacecraft body based on the design of ESA's XMM-Newton X-ray observatory. The 4.1 metric ton, US$330 million (350 million euro) spacecraft will be launched on a Proton rocket, and placed in a three day highly elliptical orbit.

INTEGRAL, is INTErnational Gamma Ray Astrophysical Laboratory.

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January 29, 2001