File: 4 October 2026 · Source date: October 4, 2026 · Current project file; not a new discovery announcement
Three tools, one very long ruler
In ESA's LISA design, the three spacecraft form a triangle with sides approximately 2.5 million kilometers apart. Laser measurements aim to monitor distance changes between free-falling test masses. Gravitational waves produce extremely small changes in these relationships. This file is a project description; We are not saying that LISA caught a new signal today.
What does it add to observatories on Earth?
ESA explains that LISA is designed to measure low-frequency waves. Different frequency ranges allow examining different systems. Space-based and ground-based observatories are complementary rather than competing.
border of the image
The curvature image here is a representative expression. It is not a photograph in which space-time is seen from the outside like a physical fabric. Editorial reading suggestion: In each science image, distinguish between what is being measured, what is a diagram, and what is an artist's interpretation. A beautiful picture alone does not confirm a theory.
keep thinking
How does learning about an event that we cannot see with light through wave measurement change your view of the universe?
Resources and further reading
ESA — measuring gravitational waves ↗Share your answer
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Established science, active research, and philosophical speculation are clearly separated.