NASA and ESA Collaborate on LISA Mission to Detect Gravitational Waves

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna project aims to observe cosmic events through a triangular spacecraft array equipped with advanced telescopes.

The LISA mission, led by the European Space Agency with NASA's partnership, will use lasers to detect gravitational waves from cosmic events like merging black holes.
Three spacecraft, each carrying two telescopes, will be arranged in a triangular formation 1.6 million miles apart to measure minute changes in distance using infrared lasers.
NASA has unveiled a prototype telescope, the Engineering Development Unit Telescope, which will guide the development of the six telescopes needed for the mission.
The prototype telescope is made from Zerodur, a glass-ceramic material known for its stability across temperature changes, and features a gold-coated mirror for reflecting infrared lasers.
The LISA mission is expected to launch in the mid-2030s, with the potential to reveal groundbreaking insights into the universe's origins and the nature of gravitational waves.