spacetoday.net: LISA Pathfinder results support gravitational wave mission

LISA Pathfinder results support gravitational wave mission

Posted: Sun, Jun 12, 2016, 1:05 PM ET (1705 GMT)
LISA Pathfinder 2016 illustration (ESA)

The European Space Agency said initial results from its LISA Pathfinder mission far surpassed expectations and support eventual development of a space-based gravitational wave observatory. ESA scientists involved in the technology demonstration mission announced Tuesday that the performance of the spacecraft, launched earlier this year, was much better than expected. LISA Pathfinder is designed to test technologies needed for a much larger space-based laser interferometer that could be used to detect gravitational waves. The results make it more like ESA will pursue such a mission, with NASA cooperation, although it is unlikely to fly before 2034.