About LISA

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is the L3 mission in ESA’s Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 Programme, which has been adopted by the Science Programme Committee in January 2024 with an expected launch date in 2035.

LISA is made of a constellation of three spacecrafts tasked with detecting and measuring gravitational waves with precision.

It will become the first ever space gravitational wave observatory, aiming at delivering world-class science, granting a significant public and strategic impact.

The three spacecrafts will be launched from the Guiana Space Centre, Kourou, with the Ariane 6.4 vehicle into a direct escape trajectory towards the operational heliocentric orbit at one Astronomical Unit (AU).

The scientific payloads of LISA will be the result of the collaboration of subsystems developed with NASA and other European partners under the leading coordination of ESA.

OHB System AG has been selected to be the Industrial Prime. It will lead a consortium in which Thales Alenia Space Italia is a Core Team Member responsible, among others, of avionics, telecommunications and data handling.

More information on the industrial set-up will be presented during the LID. 

Additional information on the scientific objectives of LISA can be found on this web site.