Credit: NASA/Dennis Henry\r
Alt text: An instrument rests on a lab bench.
\r
Image description: A silver box with red and black connector caps on one side rests on a white lab bench with a blue mat on top. Three black cables connect to the box and another yellow cable curls around it. ", "items": [ { "id": 507062, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1196000, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014955/GSFC_20250602_LISA_006584.jpg", "filename": "GSFC_20250602_LISA_006584.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "A prototype charge management device for the future LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) mission sits on a lab bench at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The device will reduce the buildup of electric charge on the gold-platinum test masses that float freely inside each of the three LISA spacecraft. The University of Florida in Gainesville and Fibertek Inc. in McNair, Virginia, are developing the device. \rCredit: NASA/Dennis Henry\rAlt text: An instrument rests on a lab bench.\rImage description: A silver box with red and black connector caps on one side rests on a white lab bench with a blue mat on top. Three black cables connect to the box and another yellow cable curls around it. ", "width": 8098, "height": 5399, "pixels": 43721102 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 379545, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14955/#media_group_379545", "widget": "Basic text with HTML", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "In May 2025, engineers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, completed successful tests of prototype systems for the upcoming LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) mission.
The LISA mission, a collaboration between the European Space Agency and NASA, will detect and measure gravitational waves, ripples in the fabric of space-time produced by cataclysmic cosmic events such as crashing neutron stars and merging massive black holes.
Three spacecraft will make up LISA, flying in a vast triangular formation that follows Earth as it orbits the Sun. Each arm of the triangle will stretch 1.6 million miles (2.5 million kilometers). The observatory will enable the detection of gravitational waves that cannot be detected from ground-based facilities.
Each spacecraft will carry two free-floating cubes called proof masses, and all three spacecraft will connect with each other via infrared lasers. The lasers will measure the separation of the cubes to within a distance smaller than a helium atom, around a trillionth of meter.
Arriving gravitational waves from throughout the universe will minutely change the lengths of the triangle’s arms. The mission will capture these changes to tell scientists details about the source’s location and physical properties.", "items": [], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 379521, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14955/#media_group_379521", "widget": "Single image", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "A prototype laser optical module for LISA rests on a table after testing at NASA Goddard. Xiaozhen Xu, an engineer with Miller Engineering and Research Corp., works in the background. The smaller box to the right is the laser electronics module. \r
Credit: NASA/Sophia Roberts\r
Alt text: Spacecraft components configured for testing rest on a table.\r
Image description: A silver rectangular box rests on a stainless-steel table inside a clean room. It has four rows of 13 indentations in the side facing the camera. Different colored wires and optical fibers connect to the box, and a few are fixed to the side with yellow tape. To right of the silver box is a smaller box with cables in a sleeve of silver-colored material. Behind the table is a large cylindrical silver vacuum chamber with its door slightly ajar. A person in a white clean room suit works in front of the chamber. ", "items": [ { "id": 507063, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1195994, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014955/LISA_TVAC-9.jpg", "filename": "LISA_TVAC-9.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "A prototype laser optical module for LISA rests on a table after testing at NASA Goddard. Xiaozhen Xu, an engineer with Miller Engineering and Research Corp., works in the background. The smaller box to the right is the laser electronics module. \rCredit: NASA/Sophia Roberts\rAlt text: Spacecraft components configured for testing rest on a table.\rImage description: A silver rectangular box rests on a stainless-steel table inside a clean room. It has four rows of 13 indentations in the side facing the camera. Different colored wires and optical fibers connect to the box, and a few are fixed to the side with yellow tape. To right of the silver box is a smaller box with cables in a sleeve of silver-colored material. Behind the table is a large cylindrical silver vacuum chamber with its door slightly ajar. A person in a white clean room suit works in front of the chamber. ", "width": 8192, "height": 4829, "pixels": 39559168 } }, { "id": 507249, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1196173, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014955/LISA_TVAC-9_searchweb.png", "filename": "LISA_TVAC-9_searchweb.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "A prototype laser optical module for LISA rests on a table after testing at NASA Goddard. Xiaozhen Xu, an engineer with Miller Engineering and Research Corp., works in the background. The smaller box to the right is the laser electronics module. \rCredit: NASA/Sophia Roberts\rAlt text: Spacecraft components configured for testing rest on a table.\rImage description: A silver rectangular box rests on a stainless-steel table inside a clean room. It has four rows of 13 indentations in the side facing the camera. Different colored wires and optical fibers connect to the box, and a few are fixed to the side with yellow tape. To right of the silver box is a smaller box with cables in a sleeve of silver-colored material. Behind the table is a large cylindrical silver vacuum chamber with its door slightly ajar. A person in a white clean room suit works in front of the chamber. ", "width": 320, "height": 180, "pixels": 57600 } }, { "id": 507250, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1196174, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014955/LISA_TVAC-9_thm.png", "filename": "LISA_TVAC-9_thm.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "A prototype laser optical module for LISA rests on a table after testing at NASA Goddard. Xiaozhen Xu, an engineer with Miller Engineering and Research Corp., works in the background. The smaller box to the right is the laser electronics module. \rCredit: NASA/Sophia Roberts\rAlt text: Spacecraft components configured for testing rest on a table.\rImage description: A silver rectangular box rests on a stainless-steel table inside a clean room. It has four rows of 13 indentations in the side facing the camera. Different colored wires and optical fibers connect to the box, and a few are fixed to the side with yellow tape. To right of the silver box is a smaller box with cables in a sleeve of silver-colored material. Behind the table is a large cylindrical silver vacuum chamber with its door slightly ajar. A person in a white clean room suit works in front of the chamber. ", "width": 80, "height": 40, "pixels": 3200 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 379522, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14955/#media_group_379522", "widget": "Single image", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "Each of the three LISA spacecraft will have a laser system similar to the one shown here, with a frequency reference system and six laser heads. A laser head is the final element that touches the light and has two main components — the laser optical module (silver box at center) and the laser electronics module (gold box at right). The optical module generates the laser light that travels between the spacecraft and makes gravitational wave measurements possible. The electrical module provides power and control signals for the optical module. \r
Credit: NASA/Sophia Roberts\r
Alt text: In a darkened room, laser system components rest on a table.\r
Image description: A rectangular silver box rests on a silver table in a dark room. The box has four rows of 13 indentations in the side facing the camera. Wires and optical fibers of different colors connect to the box, and a few are fixed to the side with yellow tape. To the right of the silver box is a smaller gold box with silver-wrapped cables attached. Behind the table is a large cylindrical silver vacuum chamber. ", "items": [ { "id": 507073, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1195995, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014955/LISA_TVAC-6.jpg", "filename": "LISA_TVAC-6.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Each of the three LISA spacecraft will have a laser system similar to the one shown here, with a frequency reference system and six laser heads. A laser head is the final element that touches the light and has two main components — the laser optical module (silver box at center) and the laser electronics module (gold box at right). The optical module generates the laser light that travels between the spacecraft and makes gravitational wave measurements possible. The electrical module provides power and control signals for the optical module. \rCredit: NASA/Sophia Roberts\rAlt text: In a darkened room, laser system components rest on a table.\rImage description: A rectangular silver box rests on a silver table in a dark room. The box has four rows of 13 indentations in the side facing the camera. Wires and optical fibers of different colors connect to the box, and a few are fixed to the side with yellow tape. To the right of the silver box is a smaller gold box with silver-wrapped cables attached. Behind the table is a large cylindrical silver vacuum chamber. ", "width": 8192, "height": 5464, "pixels": 44761088 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 379523, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14955/#media_group_379523", "widget": "Single image", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "Engineers wrapped the prototype laser optical module in a thermal blanket before testing inside a thermal vacuum chamber. The module underwent six weeks of testing at hot and cold temperatures to ensure the system will work in the harsh environment of deep space. \r
Credit: NASA/Sophia Roberts\r
Alt text: A box attached to many wires sits inside a large cylindrical chamber. \r
Image description: A small box wrapped in orange foil material sits inside a large cylindrical silver chamber with its door open in a dark room. Multiple wires, cables, and optical fibers connect to the box, and some of these are also wrapped in foil. The chamber rests on a blue support structure, and the rest of the room is filled with silver and gold boxes and cables.", "items": [ { "id": 507074, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1195998, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014955/LISA_TVAC-1.jpg", "filename": "LISA_TVAC-1.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Engineers wrapped the prototype laser optical module in a thermal blanket before testing inside a thermal vacuum chamber. The module underwent six weeks of testing at hot and cold temperatures to ensure the system will work in the harsh environment of deep space. \rCredit: NASA/Sophia Roberts\rAlt text: A box attached to many wires sits inside a large cylindrical chamber. \rImage description: A small box wrapped in orange foil material sits inside a large cylindrical silver chamber with its door open in a dark room. Multiple wires, cables, and optical fibers connect to the box, and some of these are also wrapped in foil. The chamber rests on a blue support structure, and the rest of the room is filled with silver and gold boxes and cables.", "width": 8192, "height": 5464, "pixels": 44761088 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 379524, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14955/#media_group_379524", "widget": "Single image", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "After testing, Goddard engineers prepared the laser optical module to be removed from the chamber. The LISA laser head was designed and developed at Goddard, and companies in Pennsylvania and Virginia provided critical hardware components. \r
Credit: NASA/Sophia Roberts\r
Alt text: A box attached to many wires sits in a large cylindrical chamber. \r
Image description: A small silver box with indentations on one side sits inside a large cylindrical silver chamber with its door open. Many wires and cables connect to the box. The rest of the room is filled with silver and gold boxes and cables.", "items": [ { "id": 507075, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1195999, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014955/LISA_TVAC.jpg", "filename": "LISA_TVAC.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "After testing, Goddard engineers prepared the laser optical module to be removed from the chamber. The LISA laser head was designed and developed at Goddard, and companies in Pennsylvania and Virginia provided critical hardware components. \rCredit: NASA/Sophia Roberts\rAlt text: A box attached to many wires sits in a large cylindrical chamber. \rImage description: A small silver box with indentations on one side sits inside a large cylindrical silver chamber with its door open. Many wires and cables connect to the box. The rest of the room is filled with silver and gold boxes and cables.", "width": 8192, "height": 5464, "pixels": 44761088 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 379525, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14955/#media_group_379525", "widget": "Single image", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "Xu and Michael Rodriguez, an engineer at Goddard and B&A Inc., carefully remove the laser optical module from the thermal vacuum chamber after testing. \r
Credit: NASA/Sophia Roberts\r
Alt text: Two people hold a small silver box in a lab. \r
Image description: Two people in white clean room suits and blue gloves hold a rectangular silver box with indentations on the side. Behind them is a large cylindrical silver chamber with its door open. To the left of them is another silver box and a bundle of cables wrapped in silver and gold foil. To the right of them is a blue tool chest.", "items": [ { "id": 507078, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1195997, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014955/LISA_TVAC-4.jpg", "filename": "LISA_TVAC-4.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Xu and Michael Rodriguez, an engineer at Goddard and B&A Inc., carefully remove the laser optical module from the thermal vacuum chamber after testing. \rCredit: NASA/Sophia Roberts\rAlt text: Two people hold a small silver box in a lab. \rImage description: Two people in white clean room suits and blue gloves hold a rectangular silver box with indentations on the side. Behind them is a large cylindrical silver chamber with its door open. To the left of them is another silver box and a bundle of cables wrapped in silver and gold foil. To the right of them is a blue tool chest.", "width": 6707, "height": 4035, "pixels": 27062745 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 379526, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14955/#media_group_379526", "widget": "Single image", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "Xu and Rodriguez work on the laser optical module. \r
Credit: NASA/Sophia Roberts\r
Alt text: Two people work on a silver box in a lab. \r
Image description: Two people in white clean room suits and blue gloves work on a silver box with indentations on one side. They are placing the box on a silver table covered in cables — some are blue, some are wrapped in silver foil. Behind them is a large silver piece of equipment.", "items": [ { "id": 507079, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1195996, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014955/LISA_TVAC-5.jpg", "filename": "LISA_TVAC-5.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Xu and Rodriguez work on the laser optical module. \rCredit: NASA/Sophia Roberts\rAlt text: Two people work on a silver box in a lab. \rImage description: Two people in white clean room suits and blue gloves work on a silver box with indentations on one side. They are placing the box on a silver table covered in cables — some are blue, some are wrapped in silver foil. Behind them is a large silver piece of equipment.", "width": 6405, "height": 4208, "pixels": 26952240 } } ], "extra_data": {} } ], "studio": "gms", "funding_sources": [ "PAO" ], "credits": [ { "role": "Photographer", "people": [ { "name": "Sophia Roberts", "employer": "eMITS" }, { "name": "Scott Wiessinger", "employer": "eMITS" } ] }, { "role": "Science writer", "people": [ { "name": "Jeanette Kazmierczak", "employer": "University of Maryland College Park" } ] }, { "role": "Technical support", "people": [ { "name": "Aaron E. Lepsch", "employer": "ADNET Systems, Inc." } ] } ], "missions": [], "series": [ "Astrophysics Stills" ], "tapes": [], "papers": [], "datasets": [], "nasa_science_categories": [ "Universe" ], "keywords": [ "Ast", "Astrophysics", "Black Hole", "Galaxy", "Space", "Universe" ], "recommended_pages": [], "related": [ { "id": 5586, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5586/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "Extreme Mass Ratio Black Hole Inspirals (EMRIs)", "description": "Shows seven unique black hole inspirals.", "release_date": "2026-01-20T12:00:00-05:00", "update_date": "2026-01-20T12:17:07.407739-05:00", "main_image": { "id": 1195363, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a005500/a005586/blackhole_all2.png", "filename": "blackhole_all2.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Visualization of an extreme mass ratio inspiral orbit that resembles a bird’s nest.", "width": 1920, "height": 1066, "pixels": 2046720 } }, { "id": 14698, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14698/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "NASA Reveals LISA Engineering Development Unit Telescope", "description": "NASA has revealed the first look at a full-scale prototype for six telescopes that will enable, in the next decade, the space-based detection of gravitational waves — ripples in space-time caused by merging black holes and other cosmic sources.The LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) mission is led by ESA (European Space Agency) in partnership with NASA to detect gravitational waves by using lasers to measure precise distances — down to picometers, or trillionths of a meter — between a trio of spacecraft distributed in a vast configuration larger than the Sun. Each side of the triangular array will measure nearly 1.6 million miles, or 2.5 million kilometers.Twin telescopes aboard each spacecraft will both transmit and receive infrared laser beams to track their companions, and NASA is supplying all six of them to the LISA mission. The prototype, called the Engineering Development Unit Telescope, will provide guidance as engineers and scientists work toward building the flight hardware.In May, the prototype, which was manufactured and assembled by L3Harris Technologies in Rochester, New York, arrived at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The primary mirror is coated in gold to better reflect the infrared lasers and to reduce heat loss from a surface exposed to cold space since the telescope will operate best when close to room temperature. The prototype is made entirely from an amber-colored glass-ceramic called Zerodur, manufactured by Schott in Mainz, Germany. The material is widely used for telescope mirrors and other applications requiring high precision because its shape changes very little over a wide range of temperatures. || ", "release_date": "2024-10-22T11:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2024-10-01T13:31:15.350794-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 1101332, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014600/a014698/GSFC_20240520_LISA_000535_searchweb.png", "filename": "GSFC_20240520_LISA_000535_searchweb.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "The prototype LISA telescope undergoes post-delivery inspection in a darkened NASA Goddard clean room on May 20. The entire telescope is made from an amber-colored glass-ceramic that resists changes in shape over a wide temperature range, and the mirror’s surface is coated in gold. Credit: NASA/Dennis HenryAlt text: A technician inspects a prototype LISA telescope.Image description: In a darkened clean room, a technician clad in white coveralls, hood, mask, and blue gloves inspects a prototype telescope set within a black frame. At center, the telescope’s translucent, tan-colored structure glows as the technician shines a flashlight behind it. Other suited people partially appear in the background at right, while at top and left ceiling lights from areas beyond the clean room can be seen through windows.", "width": 320, "height": 180, "pixels": 57600 } }, { "id": 14402, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14402/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "Simulated Gravitational Wave All-Sky Image", "description": "Watch as gravitational waves from a simulated population of compact binary systems combine into a synthetic map of the entire sky. Such systems contain white dwarfs, neutron stars, or black holes in tight orbits. Maps like this using real data will be possible once space-based gravitational wave observatories become active in the next decade. The center of our Milky Way galaxy lies at the center of this all-sky view, with the galactic plane extending across the middle. Brighter spots indicate sources with stronger signals and lighter colors indicate those with higher frequencies. Larger colored patches show sources whose positions are less well known. The inset shows the frequency and strength of the gravitational signal, as well as the sensitivity limit for LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna), an observatory now being designed by ESA (European Space Agency) in collaboration with NASA for launch in the 2030s.Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight CenterMusic: \"Shadowless\" from Universal Production MusicWatch this video on the NASA.gov Video YouTube channel.Complete transcript available. || LISA_AllSky_withInset_Still.jpg (2985x1497) [795.1 KB] || LISA_AllSky_1080.mp4 (1920x1080) [22.8 MB] || LISA_AllSky_1080.webm (1920x1080) [2.5 MB] || LISA_AllSky_4k.mp4 (3840x2160) [60.4 MB] || LISA_AllSky_SRT_Captions.en_US.srt [205 bytes] || LISA_AllSky_SRT_Captions.en_US.vtt [218 bytes] || LISA_AllSky_ProRes_3840x2160_30.mov (3840x2160) [992.4 MB] || ", "release_date": "2023-09-20T13:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-09-20T12:37:37.178099-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 858596, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014400/a014402/LISA_AllSky_Still_searchweb.png", "filename": "LISA_AllSky_Still_searchweb.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "All-sky video only. Gravitational waves from a simulated population of compact binary systems combine into a synthetic map of the entire sky. Such systems contain white dwarfs, neutron stars, or black holes in tight orbits. The center of our Milky Way galaxy lies at the center of this all-sky view, with the galactic plane extending across the middle. Maps like this using real data will be possible once space-based gravitational wave observatories become active in the next decade. Brighter spots indicate sources with stronger signals and lighter colors indicate those with higher frequencies. Larger colored patches show sources whose positions are less well known.Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center", "width": 320, "height": 180, "pixels": 57600 } } ], "sources": [], "products": [], "newer_versions": [], "older_versions": [], "alternate_versions": [] }