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LISA [MISSION-hero-sl]
Logo: ESA
Logo: NASA
LISA: The mission

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) will be a large-scale space mission designed to detect one of the most elusive phenomena in astronomy – gravitational waves. It will be the first space-based gravitational wave observatory.

3 x 2.5 million km
3 Spacecraft
0.1 mHz – 0.1 Hz
4 Years ++
science objectives
Mission Concept
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Mission Status

So what is the general state of play right now? Is LISA mission on time and what is next? And will we not miss the launch?

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Ask LISA

The new page “Questions about LISA” provides answers to FAQ’s around the mission. Check out the TOP3 in mission & concept.

MIssion concept

Have any of the methods or technologies been tested in advance? It all looks so sophisticated – can it work like that?

Mission Section text intro
GW Definition Box 1
What is LISA?
Explanation from a popular website (PH)

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) will be a large-scale space mission designed to detect one of the most elusive phenomena in astronomy – gravitational waves. It will be the first space-based gravitational wave observatory.

GW Definition Box 1
Where will LISA be?
Explanation from a popular website (PH)

LISA will consist of three spacecraft separated by 2.5 million km in a triangular formation, following Earth about 50 million km in its orbit around the Sun.

GW Definition Box 1
When will LISA launch?
Explanation from a popular website (PH)

The LISA launch is expected in 2035. This year LISA passes a major ESA milestone of Mission Adoption Review during which a mission transitions from a study phase to an implementation phase.

GW Definition Box 1
Why build LISA?
Explanation from a popular website (PH)

With LISA we will be able to observe the entire universe directly with gravitational waves, learning about the formation of structure and galaxies, stellar evolution, the early universe, and the structure and nature of spacetime itself.

GW Definition Box 1
What is the LISA Consortium?
Explanation from a popular website (PH)

The LISA Consortium is a large international collaboration that combines the resources and expertise from scientists in many countries all over the world. Together with ESA, its member states, and NASA, the LISA Consortium is working to bring the LISA Mission to fruition.

Mission Concept [MISSION-section-intro-sl01-HL]

Mission Concept [MISSION-section-intro-sl01-HL]

Mission Concept

LISA will be a completely new type of space mission: it will have mind-boggling dimensions and be more sensitive than anything that has launched before.

New technology: LISA will consist of three sciencecraft
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Three sciencecraft orbiting the Sun in formation
Data is collected and processed on Earth in Data Processing Centres
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The distances between the sciencecraft are measured by lasers
[MISSION-section-intro-sl01-HL]

Mission Concept

Mission Concept

LISA will be a completely new type of space mission: it will have mind-boggling dimensions and be more sensitive than anything that has launched before.

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New technology: LISA will consist of three sciencecraft

The classical distinction between a spacecraft and its payload doesn’t fit the LISA mission well. LISA is different because each of its three spacecraft is part of the scientific instrument – it protects key elements, the free-falling test masses, from disturbances.

Three sciencecraft orbiting the Sun in formation
looks_two
The distances between the sciencecraft are measured by lasers
looks_3
Data is collected and processed on Earth in Data Processing Centres
looks_4
Mission Concept

Mission Concept

Mission Concept

LISA will be a completely new type of space mission: it will have mind-boggling dimensions and be more sensitive than anything that has launched before.

The LISA mission consists of three sciencecraft orbiting the Sun in a triangular configuration.

The three satellites, separated by 2.5 million km, will be connected by laser arms forming a high precision instrument – the first laser interferometer gravitational wave observatory in space.

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New technology: LISA will consist of three sciencecraft
looks_one
Distances between the sciencecraft measured by lasers
looks_3
Data is collected and processed on Earth
looks_4
Mission Concept

Mission Concept

Mission Concept

LISA will be a completely new type of space mission: it will have mind-boggling dimensions and be more sensitive than anything that has launched before.

New technology: LISA will consist of three sciencecraft
looks_one
Three sciencecraft orbiting the Sun in formation
looks_two
Data is collected and processed on Earth in Data Processing Centres
looks_4
looks_3
The distances between the sciencecraft are measured by lasers

With its high precision measurement system, LISA will observe a passing gravitational wave directly by measuring the changes of distance between two freely falling test masses inside the sciencecraft.

Mission Concept

Mission Concept

Mission Concept

LISA will be a completely new type of space mission: it will have mind-boggling dimensions and be more sensitive than anything that has launched before.

New technology: LISA will consist of three sciencecraft
looks_one
Three sciencecraft orbiting the Sun in formation
looks_two
The distances between the sciencecraft are measured by lasers
looks_3
looks_4
Data is collected and processed on Earth in Data Processing Centres

While observing the Universe, LISA will collect and process terabytes of data using thousands of Central Processing Units (CPUs). The Data Processing Centre (DPC) will provide the hardware and software infrastructure and means to store and process those data.

You are familiar with the answers here … but not all of them? Go ahead for the rest.

You are familiar with the answers here … but not all of them?
Then go ahead and look at the rest of the list .

Would you like to see more elaborate answers to these questions or answers to other questions about LISA? Here is a complete list.

Get the full list of questions
Mission related questions only
Ask about the Mission

Ask about the Mission

Gravity is the dominant force in the universe

Ask about the Mission

General questions about the theory and science behind this project?

General questions about the theory and science behind this project?

How long will the LISA mission last?
How does LISA differ from ground-based gravitational wave interferometers like LIGO, Virgo, and KAGRA?
How did LISA get its name?
Ask about the Mission

Ask about the Mission

Gravity is the dominant force in the universe

Ask about the Mission

General questions about the theory and science behind this project? From a more comprehensive list, here are the top 3 FAQ entries:

General questions about the theory and science behind this project?

How long will the LISA mission last?

The LISA mission is designed for 4 years of nominal science operations, with a potential extended mission of up to 6 years.

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What makes the Gravitational Universe so exciting?
What can we learn from the observed signals?
Ask about the Mission

Ask about the Mission

Gravity is the dominant force in the universe

Ask about the Mission

General questions about the theory and science behind this project? From a more comprehensive list, here are the top 3 FAQ entries:

General questions about the theory and science behind this project?

What will we learn from the Gravitational Universe?

Gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of space-time generated by some of the most powerful astrophysical events – such as exploding stars and collisions of two black holes at the centres of galaxies. Gravitational waves travel at the speed of light through the universe, unhindered by intervening mass – to gravitational waves the universe is transparent. That is why gravitational waves are the cosmic messengers that allow us to explore the so far dark side of the universe.

How does LISA differ from ground-based gravitational wave interferometers like LIGO, Virgo, and KAGRA?

LISA’s million-kilometer-scale arm lengths are optimized to observe gravitational waves with milliHertz frequencies. These low-frequency gravitational waves don’t influence detector like LIGO very much since they are optimized to detect frequencies in the tens to hundreds of Hertz. The two types of observatories complement one another, just like how different types of electromagnetic observatory (e.g. radio, optical, X-ray, etc.) complement one another.

What can we learn from the observed signals?
Ask about the Mission

Ask about the Mission

Gravity is the dominant force in the universe

Ask about the Mission

General questions about the theory and science behind this project? From a more comprehensive list, here are the top 3 FAQ entries:

General questions about the theory and science behind this project?

What will we learn from the Gravitational Universe?

Gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of space-time generated by some of the most powerful astrophysical events – such as exploding stars and collisions of two black holes at the centres of galaxies. Gravitational waves travel at the speed of light through the universe, unhindered by intervening mass – to gravitational waves the universe is transparent. That is why gravitational waves are the cosmic messengers that allow us to explore the so far dark side of the universe.

What makes the Gravitational Universe so exciting?

The Gravitational Universe will open a new window in astronomy using powerful sources of gravitational waves to probe a universe that cannot be probed by other means. Significant advances were made, by using our first sense for observing the universe, electromagnetic radiation. But most of the universe remains electromagnetically dark because on astronomical scales gravitation is the real engine of the universe. LISA will provide us with a new sense for observing the so far dark universe. It will let us listen to gravity and thus let us go further than any alternative.

How did LISA get its name?

It’s an acronym: LISA stands for “Laser Interferometer Space Antenna”.

The Star Diaries of LISA Mission
The Mission timeline in a book shelf.
timeline SHELF – Home
0
13

Technology Demonstrator – Done

Pilote Project

2013

(P)

Proposal Phase
–
Done

Community / Scientists propose this great idea to ESA; Proposal Selection.

2016

(0)

Assessment Phase
–
Done

Definitions of needs and first requirements; … mission technically possible!

2020-20

(A)

Feasibility Phase
–
Done

Prime contractor competition; Developing first designs of the mission.

2023-23

(B1)

Refinement Phase
–
Done

Refine Mission Definition; Choose final Design; Compose the big mission document (Red Book)

2033 ~

(B2/C/D)

Implementation Phase
–
begins after adoption

Time to build the mission!

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2037~

(E)

Launch Phase

The launch campaign is complete, the systems and teams at ESOC are ready. At Europe’s Spaceport, the satellites sits on top of its launcher.

0

Observation Phase

Performance (in Space)

timeline SHELF – POST
2

Technology Demonstrator – done

13

Proposal Phase- Done

(P)

16

Assessment Phase – Done

(0)

20-20

Feasibility Phase – Done

(A)

23-23

Refinement Phase – Ongoing

(B1)

33~

Implementation Phase

(B2)
(C/D)
timelapse
37~37

Launch Phase

(E)

2025~38

Observation Phase

Performance (in Space)

LISA´s discovery potential is enormous and will complement the observations from ground-based instruments. LISA will enrich future astronomy.

timeline SHELF – PRE
2022-15

Technology Demonstrator – Done

LISA Pathfinder

13

Proposal Phase – Done

(P)

16

Assessment Phase – Done

(0)

20-20

Feasibility Phase – Done

(A)

23-23

Refinement Phase – Ongoing

(B1)

33~

Implementation Phase

(B2)
(C/D)
timelapse
37~

Launch Phase

(E)

33

Observation Phase

Performance (in Space)

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Dancing around the Sun [MISSION-section-info-slider01]

Dancing around the Sun [MISSION-section-info-slider01]

Dancing around the Sun

The LISA instrument will consist of three spacecraft in a triangular configuration with 2.5 million kilometer long (1.5 million mile long) arms, moving in an Earth-like orbit around the Sun.

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Cartwheeling behind the Earth

LISA will consist of three spacecraft separated by 2.5 million km in a triangular formation, following Earth about 50 million km in its orbit around the Sun.

LISA L3 Mission Proposal (pdf)
Dancing around the Sun [MISSION-section-info-slider02-HL]

Dancing around the Sun [MISSION-section-info-slider02-HL]

Dancing around the Sun

LISA will be a triangular constellation with an inter-spacecraft separation of 2.5 million km. The constellation will maintain the triangular formation even though each spacecraft is in a separate orbit around the Sun.

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Cartwheeling behind the Earth

The observatory scans the entire sky from space continuously and, as it follows the Earth in its orbit, gradually improves the localization of the gravitational wave sources it detects.

LISA L3 Mission Proposal (pdf)
Dancing around the Sun [MISSION-section-info-slider03-HL]

Dancing around the Sun [MISSION-section-info-slider03-HL]

Dancing around the Sun

LISA will be a triangular constellation with an inter-spacecraft separation of 2.5 million km. The constellation will maintain the triangular formation even though each spacecraft is in a separate orbit around the Sun.

donut_small
Cartwheeling behind the Earth

This shows the orbits of the three LISA satellites as they follow the Earth around the Sun. The triangular satellite formation is an equilateral triangle with 2.5 million kilometer long sides. It is not shown to scale.

LISA L3 Mission Proposal (pdf)