L3Harris to build telescopes for ESA's LISA mission
NASA has contracted L3Harris to build two ceramic glass telescopes for each of the three LISA spacecraft.
L3Harris will build an all-glass telescope for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission, expected to launch in the mid-2030s. NASA awarded the company the contract.
The European Space Agency (ESA) is leading the mission, with NASA as a collaborative partner. NASA is contributing the telescopes and other critical hardware, as well as engineering and scientific support.
LISA is designed as a constellation of three spacecraft. Each satellite will include two L3Harris telescopes capable of transmitting and receiving precision laser beams with the support of ceramic glass. L3Harris has manufactured a full-scale prototype for the mission.
LISA will be the first gravitational wave detector in space. It is designed to detect gravitational waves by measuring distance changes between satellites using laser beams. This will inform the study of black holes, colliding stars, and space-time. ESA recently selected Germany's OHB, together with Thales Alenia Space, to build the three-spacecraft mission.
Sourcesatellitetoday.com