Observing the Universe through gravitational waves

Gravity is the fundamental force of the Universe, driving the formation of stars, galaxies and black holes, and its evolution as a whole.

Gravitational waves are expected to be abundant across the cosmos, produced by massive bodies in acceleration, such as exploding stars or pairs of orbiting black holes.  They travel across the Universe almost unimpeded, unlike light which gets absorbed by gas and dust. 

Despite attempts to detect them directly, gravitational waves so far remain elusive. When they pass through Earth they produce minute changes in the size of our planet, but only by about a millionth of the size of an atom, impossible to measure.

The technology tested by LISA Pathfinder will lead to a future mission within ESA’s Cosmic Vision programme to detect and measure gravitational waves, providing us with a new science altogether and expanding our window on the Universe.