LISA Pathfinder
Model of the LISA Pathfinder spacecraft | |
| Mission type | High-precision metrology, Technology demonstrator for gravitational-wave observation |
|---|---|
| Operator | ESA |
| COSPAR ID | 2015-070A |
| SATCAT no. | 41043 |
| Mission duration | 576 days |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | Airbus Defence and Space |
| Launch mass | 1,910 kg (4,210 lb) |
| BOL mass | 480 kg (1,060 lb) |
| Dry mass | 810 kg (1,790 lb) |
| Payload mass | 125 kg (276 lb) |
| Dimensions | 2.9 m × 2.1 m (9.5 ft × 6.9 ft) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 3 December 2015, 04:04:00 UTC |
| Rocket | Vega (VV06) |
| Launch site | Kourou ELV |
| Contractor | Arianespace |
| End of mission | |
| Disposal | Decommissioned |
| Deactivated | 30 June 2017 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Sun–Earth L1 |
| Regime | Lissajous orbit |
| Periapsis altitude | 500,000 km (310,000 mi) |
| Apoapsis altitude | 800,000 km (500,000 mi) |
| Inclination | 60 degrees |
| Epoch | Planned |
| Transponders | |
| Band | X band |
| Bandwidth | 7 kbit/s |
| Instruments | |
| ~36.7 cm Laser interferometer | |
ESA astrophysics insignia for LISA Pathfinder | |
LISA Pathfinder (LPF) was a space mission by the European Space Agency (ESA). It was launched on 3 December 2015 on a Vega rocket, and operated until July 2017. The mission tested key technologies needed for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), an ESA gravitational wave observatory planned to be launched in 2035. Formerly, the mission was known as Small Missions for Advanced Research in Technology-2 (SMART-2) of the Small Missions for Advanced Research in Technology ESA scientific programme. The LISA Pathfinder scientific phase started on 1 March 2016 and lasted almost sixteen months. In June 2016, ESA announced that LISA Pathfinder demonstrated that the LISA mission is feasible, paving the way for the official adoption of the LISA mission.
The mission cost was €490 million. It involved research institutes and space companies from many European countries, as well as the American National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).