IASFRome_StatusReport - INAF-IASF-Roma

IASF Roma - STATUS REPORTfor the Visiting CommitteeRef: IASF-RM-VC-001/07DATA: 19 November 2007Page: 45/134The IBIS control room with terminals (PCs) to control the S/C simulators, power supplies etc. Thesystem is basically used for On-board software upgrade, recovery procedures in case of failure,possible instrument revoverable faults etc. The Spacecraft, TMM/TLC systems and Power SupplySimulators, supplied by ESA, and the Gamma Telescope IBIS (right) and the payload are visiblein the above figure. The adjacent room contains the equipments to carry out all on boardoperations in an identical way to the real onboard system. A third adjoining room has the ComputerCentre where satellite data is recorded, and analyzed off-line.Outreach with INTEGRALThe equipments (total value 6 million Euro) and the rooms that contain them are a good occasionfor out-reach activities. Currently, they are made available to Physics and Astrophysics studentsand high school students.Also, the test model and the satellite simulator are used by the team that has made the instrumentsto test the onboard software, and they are a good example to help students to understand how aspace mission operates, and how to keep a 4000kg gamma-ray Laboratory operational. With thesupport of Computer Centre, maintained by researchers and technical staff, it is possible to showimagines and spectrum of different kind of astronomical sources, i.e. neutron stars, black holes inbinary systems, AGN, Blazars etc.On the opposite side to the window of the air-conditioned room are operative some of the 32computers that are clustered to analyse of data from INTEGRAL (left). On the right, some of theinitially used modules of 4TB each. Do date the total capacity is around 50TB, planned to be ableto archive all the mission data up to 10 years operation (so far ready for 2 more years).45