NASA teams up with ESA for gravitational wave quest in space

"Imagine being able to observe a broad range of sources within our galaxy and beyond. LISA will provide us with that capability," said Mark Clampin, director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "We're proud to be part of this international effort to open new avenues to explore the secrets of the universe."

NASA's role in this cosmic collaboration involves providing key components for LISA's instrument suite, including lasers, telescopes, and devices to reduce disturbances from electromagnetic charges.

These elements are crucial for LISA to measure precise distance changes caused by gravitational waves over millions of miles in space. On the other hand, ESA will provide the spacecraft and oversee the international team during the mission's development and operation.

Gravitational waves are produced by accelerating masses, such as orbiting black holes. As these waves remove orbital energy, objects gradually merge over millions of years. Since LIGO's discovery, scientists have used gravitational waves in tandem with light and particles, pioneering a field known as "multimessenger astronomy." This collaborative approach has led to the observation of dozens of black hole mergers and other cosmic events.

Sensing low-frequency gravitational waves

However, LIGO and similar ground-based facilities can only detect gravitational waves within a certain frequency range. LISA is designed to fill this crucial gap by sensing low-frequency gravitational waves that are beyond the reach of Earth-based instruments.

Ira Thorpe, NASA study scientist for the mission, highlighted the significance: "LISA will open our eyes to tens of thousands of small binary systems in our own galaxy and massive black holes merging as galaxies collided in the early universe."

LISA's triangular formation, consisting of three spacecraft flying 1.6 million miles apart, will track internal test masses affected only by gravity. Firing lasers continuously, the spacecraft will measure their separations to within a span smaller than the size of a helium atom. Gravitational waves from cosmic sources will produce oscillations in the lengths of the triangle’s arms, allowing LISA to capture these changes and unveil the secrets of the universe.

The technology behind LISA has already been successfully demonstrated in space through ESA's LISA Pathfinder mission, which operated between 2015 and 2017 with NASA's participation. With this new cosmic collaboration, LISA is poised to push the boundaries of our understanding of the universe and provide more insights.