LISA reaches a crucial milestone

The future gravitational-wave observatory in space completes a rigorous review

© NASA/JPL-Caltech/NASAEA/ESA/CXC/STScl/GSFCSVS/S.Barke (CC BY 4.0)

LISA Pathfinder - A Space Saga

Relive the groundbreaking technology demonstrator's mission milestones 5 years ago in a new Youtube mini-series released by the LISA Consortium.

LISA Pathfinder being encapsulated within the Vega rocket. © ESA–Manuel Pedoussaut

13th LISA Symposium talks are online

Find out about the exciting future of gravitational wave astrophysics in space!

Artist's impression of a LISA spacecraft. © AEI/MM/exozet

ESA ministers commit to biggest ever budget

The significant boost in funding for ESA’s world-class and inspirational science programme will allow the first gravitational wave detector in space, LISA, to fly alongside the black hole mission Athena.

ESA’s Council at Ministerial Level, Space19+, has concluded in Seville, Spain, with the endorsement of the most ambitious plan to date for the future of ESA and the whole European space sector. Image: ESA

Why we need a gravitational wave observatory in space

The science case for LISA

Merging Black Holes. Credit: T. Pyle/LIGO

The Gravitational Universe

Illuminating the dark universe with a new astronomy

Artist's impression of supermassive black hole. Credit: ESA/NASA, AVO project, Paolo Padovani.

LISA: A New Astronomy

Laser Interferometer Space Antenna

Artist's impression of LISA satellite. Credit: AEI/MM/exozet

LISA Pathfinder tracera la voie vers la mission eLISA en testant, dans l’espace, le concept (les principes ?) de la détection d’ondes gravitationnelles.

L'endroit le plus silencieux du système solaire

LISA Pathfinder (LPF) placera deux masses d’épreuve en "chute libre" quasi parfaite, contrôlera et mesurera leur mouvement relatif avec une précision inégalée. Ceci sera effectué grâce à des thechnologies innovantes telles que des senseurs inertiels, un système de métrologie laser, un système à compensation de trainée et des micro-propulseurs délivrant des micro-Newton. L’ensemble de ces masses d’épreuve et leur environnement constitueront probablement un des endroits les plus "calmes" du système solaire.

Toutes ces technologies sont non seulement essentielles pour la mission eLISA, elles seront également à la base de toutes les missions qui voudront tester la théorie de la relativitié générale d’Einstein.

LPF sera lancé en novembre 2015.

The LISA Consortium

The LISA Consortium is committed to supporting the LISA mission. It includes all the main investigators involved in the highly successful LISA Pathfinder mission, a number of scientists who worked on the ground-based LIGO, Virgo, and GEO projects, and a number who worked on the Laser Ranging Interferometer on the GRACE Follow-On mission, thus making full use of the expertise accumulated so far. The LISA Consortium proposed and submitted the white paper The Gravitational Universe which was accepted for the ESA L3 slot.

If you are a scientist and wish to contribute to the LISA mission, use this scientist registration form.

A new frontier for exploring the physical universe

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Latest news and consortium activities

Date Title Summary
May 15, 2014
 LISA Pathfinder displayed for the first time at the ILA 2014 Direct detection of gravitational waves in space requires some completely new...
Mar 26, 2018
 Building the Mission: LISA Consortium Reboot We are now ready to reboot the Consortium and ask you to apply.
Jun 29, 2014
 How do Gravitational Waves look like? David Radice wins Giulio Rampa Thesis Prize The 2014 Giulio Rampa Thesis Prize for outstanding research in Mathematical or Numerical...
Jun 07, 2016
 American Physical Society: Prototype Gravitational Wave Spacecraft sets new Free Fall Record Successful LISA Pathfinder mission paves the way for the LISA space-based, gravitational...
Nov 04, 2014
 Imaging System Investigations for LISA Members of Airbus DS GmbH, the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert...

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Conferences, publications and positions

Date News topic Imagesort descending Title
Oct 31, 2013
 Papers The effect of baryonic streaming motions on the formation of the first supermassive black holes
May 03, 2023
 Positions Nominations sought for the position of Director at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics in Potsdam
Aug 26, 2024
 Conferences Black Holes Inside and Out, August 26-30 2024, Copenhagen
Feb 02, 2012
 Papers Low-frequency gravitational wave science with LISA
Positions NASA POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP – APPLICATION DEADLINE MARCH/JULY/NOVEMBER 1
Oct 13, 2023
 Conferences Windows on the Universe: Establishing the Infrastructure for a Collaborative Multi-messenger Ecosystem, October 13-18, 2023, Tucson
Sep 12, 2023
 Positions Postdoctoral positions in Computational Relativistic Astrophysics division at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics in Potsdam
Jun 13, 2005
 Papers Expected Coalescence Rate of Double Neutron Stars for Ground Based Interferometers
Jan 10, 2023
 Positions Scientist (m/f/d) for the leadership of a research group for the realization of a “Beyond LISA” mission
Aug 23, 2023
 Positions Assistant Professor in Neutrino Physics, Particle Astrophysics, Cosmology, and Gravitational Waves at UC Riverside
Sep 19, 2023
 Positions Postdoc positions in gravitational-wave astronomy at Milano-Bicocca
Mar 27, 2014
 Papers Constraints on Einstein-Æther theory and Horava gravity from binary pulsar observations
Jun 06, 2023
 Positions Tenure track position in multimessenger (incl. GWs) astrophysics at SISSA
Sep 06, 2023
 Positions Post Doctoral Associate at University of Florida
Aug 11, 2012
 Papers Breadboard model of the LISA phasemeter

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