UK universities creating ripples in space research

The next two large missions from the European Space Agency (ESA) will be to probe the 'Gravitational Universe' by establishing a gravitational wave observatory in space. This study will aim to detect gravitational waves and open up hidden chapters in the history of the Universe by listening to the waves made by the earliest black holes, and probably by the Big Bang itself. The proposed mission, known as the evolved Laser Interferometry Space Antenna (eLISA), is planned to launch in 2034. It will situate three spacecraft halfway between the Sun and the Earth. In this position, the gravitational pull will 'lock' the craft in a stable position, so that the craft orbit the Sun at the same speed as the Earth. The three spacecraft will be between one and five million kilometres apart and in each one there will be a device known as a 'proof mass'. Lasers will watch over the proof masses to detect any movement that indicates a gravitational wave passing between them. eLISA will build upon technologies already developed by scientists at the University of Glasgow's Institute for Gravitational Research for the ESA's LISA Pathfinder probe, which is due for launch in 2015. Imperial has also developed some of the critical hardware that will fly on LISA. pic credit: AEI/MM/exozet