1. Laser Interferometer Space Antenna Satellite Description  Three spacecrafts forming a triangle flying 5 million km apart  Placed in an elliptical plain 1 AU from the Sun and 20 degrees behind Earth  Acts as Michelson Interferometer  Uses lasers to observe disturbances on proof masses placed in 2 spacecrafts  Launch date : 2011  Cost : $500 m

2. Mission & Technological Challenges  Mission to Observe Gravitational Waves from :  Galactic binary systems  Massive Black holes  Supernova explosions  Technological Challenges:  Inertial Sensors creating proof masses with low levels of disturbances  Micronewton Thruster : Thrusters to keep spacecraft from being disturbed  Laser Interferometer : precision in detection due to large separation between proof masses

3.  First to Detect Gravitational waves - Open a new window to observational Astronomy - Interiors strong-gravity, high-velocity regions  Study of Gravitational Waves: - Verify fundamental prediction of General Relativity - Fundamental block of theoretical picture of universe - Test Einstein’s prediction that speed of light wave = speed of gravitational wave  Versatility of Detector: - broader capability to detect waves arriving from different directions Why Should LISA deserve Continued Funding ?