Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) Mission

26.10.2024

Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) Mission

Why in the news?                        

Recently, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) revealed the first look of the prototype for six telescopes that will help LISA's three spacecraft detect gravitational waves in space.

About Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) Mission:

• The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission is a collaborative effort between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) set to launch in the mid-2030s.
• The main objective of the mission is to detect and study gravitational waves by putting three spacecraft into the Earth’s orbit and positioning them in a triangular format with 1.6 million miles on each side.
• It will be the "first gravitational wave detector in space" and will "explore the fundamental nature of gravity and black holes". It will also probe the rate of expansion of the Universe.

○All three spacecraft will have two telescopes each. The LISA mission will use lasers to detect gravitational waves.

○The LISA mission will comprise three spacecraft. These three spacecraft will fly in a triangular formation behind the Earth as our planet orbits the Sun.

○The spacecraft will sit in a heliocentric orbit, about 50 million km from Earth, with a distance of around 2.5 million km between each spacecraft.

○LISA will detect ripples in spacetime through subtle changes in the distances between free-floating cubes nestled within each spacecraft.

○Changes in the relative distances between these golden cubes will be tracked with extreme accuracy using laser interferometry.

                                                                 Source: India Today

Consider the following statements regarding the The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission:

1)It is a collaborative effort between DRDO and the European Space Agency (ESA).

2)The main objective of the mission is to detect and study gravitational force on the Moon Only.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A.1 only

B.2 only

C.Both 1 and 2

D.Neither 1 nor 2

Answer D