LISA Pathfinder paves the way for the LISA mission by testing in space the very concept of gravitational wave detection. First results show that LISA Pathfinder is working to a precision five times better than required, successfully demonstrating the key technologies for a large gravitational wave observatory in space. The LISA Pathfinder mission was launched on 3rd December 2015.
LISA Pathfinder Mission Timeline
We have a Mission: One year after Lisa Pathfinder launch
Follow some of the scientists who made it happen as they recapture the exciting times of the first steps into the era of gravitational waves in space.
A year ago, on december 3rd 2015 at 04:04 GMT the Lisa Pathfinder Mission lifted off from European Space Agency's space center in Kourou, Guiana. After 10 years of designing, building and testing, LISA Pathfinder had a picture book launch on a Vega rocket which propelled the satellite into a safe low earth orbit for the following month-long journey to Lagrange point L1 about 1.5 million km from Earth. LPF went online in March and performed spectacularly, far exceeding all expectations. LISA Pathfinder created the quietest place known to humankind, demonstrating that the technology onboard is a perfect option to measure gravitational waves in outer space.
