Today marks a historic moment in space exploration: ESA's Science Program Committee has given the green light to the LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) mission. This is an unprecedented initiative, the first scientific effort to detect and study gravitational waves in space.
This official "adoption" recognizes that the mission's technology and concept are mature enough to move to the instrument and spacecraft construction phase, which will begin in January 2025, following the selection of a European industrial contractor.
LISA is not a simple spacecraft, but a constellation of three ships that will follow the Earth's orbit around the Sun, forming a highly precise equilateral triangle in space. Each side of this triangle will measure 2,5 million km, and the ships will exchange laser beams with each other over this enormous distance. Their launch is scheduled for 2035 on an Ariane 6 rocket.
The realization of LISA is possible thanks to the collaboration between ESA, the space agencies of the Member States, NASA and an international consortium of scientists. This multidisciplinary collaboration demonstrates global commitment to advancing scientific knowledge.
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Over a century ago, Albert Einstein predicted that massive objects accelerate and shake up spacetime, creating gravitational waves. Today, thanks to technological advances, we are able to detect these subtle signals.
"LISA is a ground-breaking effort that will use laser beams over huge distances to detect these gravitational waves, thus opening a new horizon in the study of gravity in space," explains Nora Lützgendorf, project scientist.
The LISA mission will expand the observational possibilities by detecting gravitational waves with frequencies lower than those possible on Earth. It will allow scientists to explore cosmic events of unprecedented magnitude, from the birth of galaxies to the collisions of supermassive black holes.
A fundamental contribution of LISA will be the understanding of the origin of massive black holes and their role in the evolution of galaxies. The mission will also capture the gravitational "sound" of the Universe's earliest moments, providing a unique insight into the Big Bang. Furthermore, LISA will help researchers measure the expansion of the Universe, providing a new kind of yardstick for these measurements.
In addition to cosmic discoveries, LISA will have a significant impact even closer to us in our galaxy. By detecting pairs of merging compact objects, such as white dwarfs or neutron stars, the mission will provide unprecedented insight into the evolution of these systems and improve understanding of the structure of the Milky Way.
Oliver Jennrich, another LISA project scientist, underlines the importance of this mission: “Until now we have relied on observing light to understand the cosmos. The addition of gravitational wave detection opens up a whole new dimension in our perception of the Universe, similar to the transition from silent movies to sound movies.”
This mission will undoubtedly change fundamental to the way we understand space and time, offering a new and profound look at the mysteries of the Universe.
