The INTEGRAL spacecraft - In-orbit performance

Abstract

The INTEGRAL satellite was successfully launched from Baikonur on 17 October, 2002. INTEGRAL is an observatory for gamma-ray astronomy. The goals are to provide unprecedented high resolution imaging capability for unambiguous identification of gamma ray sources and high energy resolution for line spectroscopy. This paper summarises the actual orbital evolution based on the first 8 months in orbit and provides a status of the on-board limiting life resources. The paper describes the measured in-orbit performance of the INTEGRAL satellite and summarizes the applicable operational constraints for the science user community.