Space Missions for Gravitational Waves
Question
"The experiment will employ a trio of spacecraft flying in formation in the shape of an equilateral triangle that has sides one million kilometres long, with lasers shining between the craft." The experiment in question refers to
Options
Voyager-2
New Horizons
LISA Pathfinder
Evolved LISA
Explanation
The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) or Evolved LISA (eLISA) is a proposed space probe by the European Space Agency designed to detect and accurately measure gravitational waves. The mission architecture comprises three spacecraft arranged in an equilateral triangle with arms millions of kilometers long, using laser interferometry. > One-line conceptual takeaway: eLISA aims to detect gravitational waves from space by measuring minuscule distance changes between three widely separated spacecraft using lasers. Answer: (d).
Question details
Year
2020
Paper
GS Paper 1
Question
Q43
Subject
Science & Technology
Sub-topic
Space Technology & Astronomy
Type
Factual single
Difficulty
Medium
Nature
Current-affairs-linked
Source hint
LIGO discoveries / ESA eLISA mission
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