The INTEGRAL (International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory) Mission

The INTEGRAL mission is dedicated to fine spectroscopy ( 2 keV energy resolution) and fine imaging ( 12 arcmin angular resolution of celestial gamma-ray sources in the energy range from 15 keV to 10 MeV. The scientific payload consists of two gamma-ray instruments, the Ge spectrometer (SPI) and the CdTe/CsI imager (IBIS) and two monitors, the X-ray monitor (JEM-X) and optical monitor (OMC). The INTEGRAL observatory will provide the scientific community at large with an unprecedented combination of imaging and spectroscopy over a wide range of X-ray and gamma-ray energies as well as in the optical band. Most of the observing time will be open to the scientific community interfacing with the INTEGRAL Science Data Center.