NASA Advances LISA Mission Contributions With New Test Telescope
NASA has taken the next step in the process of developing a new all-glass telescope for the LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) mission, a space observatory designed to detect ripples in space-time called gravitational waves. L3Harris Technologies will design, assemble, and integrate the new telescope for NASA. Called the Engineering Test Unit, this contribution represents […] The post NASA…
NASA has progressed in the development of a new telescope for the LISA mission, an all-glass observatory aimed at detecting gravitational waves. The Engineering Test Unit, designed by L3Harris Technologies, will be assembled and integrated by the space agency. The LISA mission, led by the European Space Agency and set to launch in the mid-2030s, will consist of three spacecraft forming a vast triangular array, each equipped with two telescopes.
These telescopes will transmit and receive infrared laser beams, measuring distances with exceptional precision to detect gravitational waves. The LISA mission aims to uncover low-frequency gravitational waves, such as those from merging monster black holes and other cosmic phenomena, which are currently undetectable from Earth.
Each telescope, made of amber-colored ceramic-glass composite Zerodur, will resist temperature fluctuations. NASA provided a prototype telescope in 2024, which served as an engineering development unit, and the team is now delivering the final pre-flight unit, marking the completion of this phase.
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- NASA Advances LISA Mission Contributions With New Test Telescope science.nasa.gov
