Successful Launch of Integral

An anonymous submitter writes "The INTErnational Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory has successfully launched from Baikonur at 4:41UT this morning. See ESA's launch page. Launch, upper stage, and solar panel deployment (the times when we held our breath) all went without a hitch. The most sensitive gamma-ray observatory yet is now beginning operations. See ESA's Integral pages for more about the mission."

Nice launch for the Russians...

[0x69]

I bet the folks in Moscow are feeling a lot better now (vs. right after yesterday's rocket-blew-up-29-seconds-after-launch disaster).

This was a different model of rocket, launched from a different cosmodrome/spaceport/rocket range. Redundancy is next to Godliness.

Re:Nice launch for the Russians...

[vrt3]

Because Baikonur is in Russia and a Russian Proton rocket was used to place Integral in orbit, as explained here [esa.int].

You think the ESA launches Protons in Kazakhstan?

[0x69]

From the full article on the ESA's web site...

"In the framework of ESA's cooperation with Russia, a Russian Proton launcher was chosen to place the Integral (INTErnational Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory) observatory in orbit. The launcher lifted off from Baikonur in Kazakhstan today at 10:41 local time (06:41 CEST)."

The ESA's site also makes it very clear that the R(ussian)SA was in charge of getting the satellite into orbit. Let me suggest that you read up on it.

Notice my sig?

Double-take...

[devphil]

Science: Successful Launch of Integral

And of course my first thought was, "Wow, wait 'til they start sending up floating-point numbers!"

Thank you, thank you, I'm here through Tuesday. Enjoy the steaks and don't forget to tip your servers.

Re:Double-take...

[u19925]

You don't need to launch "floating-point numbers". They already float.

Re:Double-take...

[smithmc]

You don't need to launch "floating-point numbers". They already float.

Nope, only the point floats, leaving the rest of the digits behind.

Re:Double-take...

[Guppy]

"And of course my first thought was, "Wow, wait 'til they start sending up floating-point numbers!"

"In other news, the ESA successfully placed an array of fixed-point numers into geosynchronous orbit..."

We?

[Hard_Code]

What a coincidence...I just started reading Yevgeny Zamyatin's _We_. Is the name 'INTEGRAL' inspired by this novel?

Re:We?

[Peter T Ermit]

INTErnational Gamma Ray Astrophysical Laboratory.

Re:We?

[Jade E. 2]

INTErnational Gamma Ray Astrophysical Laboratory

I hate to spoil the fun, but how the hell did a line copied and pasted from the slashdot story get modded to 5? Is it really that much effort to scroll up half a page and actually read the writeup? I mean, you don't even have to click on the link for this one... Sheesh :)

Math... heh....

[Transcendent]

Successful Launch of Integral

In other news, the opposing rocket launch named Derivative has seemed to have malfunctioned...

Re:Math... heh....

[global_diffusion]

No dude, that's the lander.

Airbrushed photo?

[lommer]

Go take a look at the photo at the top of the page linked to in the /. summary (ESA's launch page [esa.int])

Is it just me or does the thrust coming from the bottom of that rocket look suspiciosly clean + straight? They have other pictures that look fairly normal, but that looks like it's straight out of some CG computer game or something...