Heliocentric orbit
Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA)
LISA is ESA's planned three-spacecraft gravitational-wave observatory, flying in heliocentric orbit to detect ripples in spacetime.
ESA says LISA has entered construction and is targeting a 2035 launch from Europe's Spaceport on Ariane 6.
View in 3D map ↗Official mission site ↗The mission
LISA will form a heliocentric equilateral triangle with three laser-linked spacecraft separated by 2.5 million km arms. ESA's mission will detect and study low-frequency gravitational waves from sources such as merging black holes and compact binaries.
The launch
- Launch
- 2035
- Launch location
- Europe's Spaceport, French Guiana
- Launch vehicle
- Ariane 6
- Orbit
- Heliocentric orbit trailing or leading Earth
Mission timeline
Follow the mission through its available trajectory data in the full 3D solar-system map.
- Now
Construction begins
June 17, 2025 · Heliocentric orbit
ESA announced that construction of LISA had begun.
Open milestone source ↗Objectives
- 01
Detect and study low-frequency gravitational waves.
- 02
Measure spacetime ripples from merging black holes and compact binaries.
- 03
Demonstrate space-based laser interferometry in a triangular constellation.
- 04
Open a new observation window on the gravitational-wave universe.
Spacecraft
LISA spacecraft 1
One spacecraft in the three-spacecraft laser-interferometer constellation.
- Manufacturer
- ESA and European partners
LISA spacecraft 2
Second spacecraft forming one vertex of the triangular interferometer baseline.
- Manufacturer
- ESA and European partners
LISA spacecraft 3
Third spacecraft completing the heliocentric gravitational-wave observatory.
- Manufacturer
- ESA and European partners
Gallery
One image from Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA).
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