Advanced telescopes take a lot of advanced technologies to build, and many times those technologies come from companies rather than the space agencies that sponsor the project. The most recent example of this is the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna, or LISA, whose project sponsor recently signed a contract to begin construction of this mission that will eventually expand our search for gravitational waves.
LISA will monitor space for gravitational waves using three separate spacecraft, configured as a triangle, each of which is connected via lasers. The most interesting thing about LISA is that each side of the triangle is 2.5 million kilometers long. That distance for a laser, while allowing for much more accurate detection of gravitational waves, are unachievable on Earth, hence why LISA is being deployed in space.
The contract that was signed this month was between the European Space Agency (ESA), and OHB System AG, a space system development company based in Bremen, Germany that will serve as the prime contractor on the mission. It was signed on the sidelines of the International Paris Air Show, which took place last week. It was just one of several contracts signed that day, including one between OHB System AG and Thales Alenia Space, another company that’s headquartered in Cannes, for Thales to deliver some of the key components of the LISA mission - in exchange for €263 euros.
Fraser discusses how LISA can change the gravitational wave observation game.This isn’t the first time that millions of euros have changed hands on this project either. NASA, which is also involved in the project, had previously awarded $11M to Ball Aerospace to develop a “laser prestabilization system”, one of the sub-components of the larger project. Other key sub-components include the Phasemeter, which will detect minute changes in the laser’s phase, and will be managed by the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics in Germany.
Other contracts that have already been awarded include one to the University of Florida to develop the instrument’s Charge Management system, which will ensure electrostatic charges don’t build up on the spacecraft as they are exposed to radiation and electromagnetic waves. Each spacecraft will also have a telescope, which NASA seems intent on awarding L3 Harris the contract for its development, and which will be responsible for sending and receiving the laser beams millions of kilometers.
Two other sub-components that have already been awarded contracts are the laser itself and the constellation acquisition sensor (CAS). The laser, which will originally be developed for ground-based testing and validation, was awarded to Exail, a French military and aerospace contractor, by CNES, the French aerospace agency. The CAS, which will help the satellites align and hold their position, was awarded to Teledyne Space Imaging, a European/American company that specializes in imaging technology.
Scott Manley discusses LISA and how it will be constructed. Credit - Scott Manley YouTube ChannelWith all this activity going on across two continents, it might seem that LISA is almost ready to go, but the spacecraft still faces 10 years of further development and testing before its expected launch in 2035. If the development of other spacecraft is any indication to go by, there’s a lot that can go wrong in that time frame. But eventually, and with continued funding, LISA will be monitoring our skies for some of the most interesting signs of catastrophic events throughout the universe - and helping grow our understanding of them - in around a decade.
Learn More: ESA - Construction of ESA’s ambitious LISA mission begins
UT - The Space-Based Gravitational Wave Observatory LISA Gets the Green Light
