back to article Europe launches search for Einstein's space-time ripples

The European Space Agency's LISA Pathfinder spacecraft is due to blast off tomorrow from Kourou, French Guiana, on its mission to "test the technology needed to develop future space-borne gravitational wave detectors". The launch date is not arbitrary. It celebrates the 100th anniversary of the publication of Albert Einstein's …

  1. Mage Silver badge
    Alert

    Blasts Off

    Maybe delayed ...

    "During the final step of VV06 launch campaign, a technical issue on the Vega launch vehicle required additional analysis. The launch initially scheduled for December 2, 2015 is postponed.

    ESA’s LISA Pathfinder spacecraft is in stable and safe conditions and the launcher teams are currently working on this technical issue.

    A review of the results will take place tomorrow [2nd], leading to a decision for a possible launch on December 3."

    1. streaky
      Mushroom

      Re: Blasts Off

      The launch date is not arbitrary

      *cough*yes it is*cough*

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Holmes

        Re: Blasts Off

        It's extra-arbitrary. FTA:

        ESA says that LISA cannot itself detect said waves, because, "since the impact of gravitational waves is so tiny, the test masses would need to be millions of kilometres apart rather than the 38cm available on board LISA Pathfinder".

        So this mission is just to show.. what? I can't quite figure it out...

        1. Grikath

          Re: Blasts Off

          Mostly data about the system itself.

          Does it perform as expected? Do al parts function reliably, or are there any glitches only real life testing over an extended period can turn up? Do the cubes, in fact, stay at their (expected) positions or do they drift, and if so, because of what? Plenty of things only exposure to the real environment they're supposed to be working in can answer.

          It's not as if this is your average kitchen scales, or even a properly balanced and calibrated lab scales. This thing is supposed to measure right up on the edge of Quantum, so you'd need a good set of data from one before you can start setting up the needed triangle and compare the data from the three.

  2. Your alien overlord - fear me
    Coat

    Let's hope it doesn't get buffeted by solar winds when measuring.

    And have they taken into account the force of a laser hitting the cubes is likely to move them at the picometer level?

    Mine's the one with real gold cubes in it....

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      "And have they taken into account the force of a laser hitting the cubes is likely to move them at the picometer level?'

      Nope. Shedloads of scientists and engineers and technicians have pored over this project for years and years, and one anonymous schmuck on teh internets found a hole in the entire theory based on a perusal of a quick write up in El Reg. Scrub the mission posthaste!

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "identical 46mm gold/platinum alloy cubes, each in its own evacuated enclosure"

    The vacuum of space is not a deep enough vacuum? That's a pretty awesome level of sensitivity.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: "identical 46mm gold/platinum alloy cubes, each in its own evacuated enclosure"

      I don't think the enclosure is supposed to be a better vacuum, just that it is an enclosure. So the cubes aren't hit by micrometeorites or solar wind particles that would affect them far more than gravitational waves.

      1. kyleandrew
        Coffee/keyboard

        Mommy, Can We Play With It?

        At some moment in the Space Time Continuum they will come across this speck of ESA taxpayer paid for dust and wonder what it was all about.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I suppose a major benefit of this being an all-European project is that blunders due to confusion between inches and centimetres are unlikely.

    1. smartypants

      Je ne comprends pas

      C'est tout.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Je ne comprends pas

        My previous post regarding confusion between metric and imperial measurements was referring to incidents such as this one:

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Climate_Orbiter

        That one was due to a pounds and newtons mixup, but I'm pretty sure there have been others (including one where linear measurements got confused, but couldn't find it just now with a quick google).

  5. Michael H.F. Wilkinson Silver badge

    Fascinating stuff

    Fingers crossed for a smooth launch once thy get the technical glitches sorted

  6. Mark 85
    Coffee/keyboard

    "Litigious orbit"

    I know this is serious business but that and it's definition brought tears to my eyes, loud laughter, strange looks from my co-workers.

    Thanks for the laugh...very much needed today.

  7. Camilla Smythe

    Fricken ACE Shoes.

    https://regmedia.co.uk/2015/11/26/lisa_fairing.jpg?x=648&y=459&infer_y=1

    Where can I buy a pair of those dudes?

  8. Sceptic Tank Silver badge
    Meh

    Give us a wave

    "A low-frequency gravitational wave would cause a 1m bar to move {minuscule distance} to {more minuscule distance}"

    But now what do these people hope to find:

    About Gravitational Waves.

    et

    LIGO.

    Their instrument is sitting on the ground between the trees and in the desert (or the dessert, I never know). Doesn't look like they have found anything so far. By the size of those instruments I would expect to see the street lights wave around in the space-time ripples.

    1. John Mangan

      Re: Give us a wave

      LISA will be looking in a lower frequency band than LIGO/VIRGO/GEO600 can observe. Different astronomical phenomena generate waves at different frequencies just as with optical/radio/x-ray/infra-red astronomoy.

    2. Grikath

      Re: Give us a wave

      " in the desert (or the dessert, I never know). "

      The answer to that one is: can you put cream on top and eat it? if Yes, you add the s.. ;)

  9. caffeine addict

    To measure movements at a sub atomic level I assume you need to make sure your equipment is stationary at a similar level. That's going to need some mighty impressive duct tape...

  10. wiggers

    Shirley...

    if the gravitational wave is distorting spacetime won't it also perturb the measurement frame of reference so the masses will appear not to move?

    1. Mage Silver badge

      Re: Shirley...

      Phase differences vs distance if it's a wave will give a frequency signal. So if the two detectors are at a suitable distance apart compared to wavelength.

  11. kyleandrew
    Stop

    Make Work Project For ESA

    Good Golly - And here we thought NASA's financial windfall to start training Mars astronauts was the ultimate taxpayer scam.

    1. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge

      Re: Make Work Project For ESA

      Say this to me in real life and see what happens.

  12. tentimes

    The search for Einstein's nipples?

    Surely even more epic than the search for Spock!

  13. Joeman

    That Einstein bloke - he was one clever dude...

  14. x 7

    If I've read the article correctly, this is a non-experiment, it can't work

    In effect the ESA has chucked a bucketload of our cash at a pointless vanity project. Whoever is the brains behind this launch needs to be strapped to the satellite and launched with it. That'll stop this kind of waste from being repeated

    1. Hero Protagonist

      No, you haven't read the article correctly

      The point is not to detect gravitational waves, but to test certain technologies that will be used in a future mission to detect gravitational waves. So that the future, more expensive mission won't be relying on, you know, untested technologies.

  15. Mage Silver badge

    Reschedule

    VV06 countdown resumed for launch scheduled on 3 December 2015

    Checks carried out for ESA’s LISA Pathfinder mission have provided satisfactory results.

    Arianespace and ESA have therefore decided to resume preparation operations for VV06 for a launch scheduled on 3 December 2015 at exactly:

    01:04:00 a.m. (local time in French Guiana),

    11:04:00 p.m. (Washington DC time), on 2 December,

    04:04:00 a.m. (UTC),

    05:04:00 a.m. (Paris time).

    video on arianespace.tv

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