NASA Unveils Prototype Telescope for First Space-Based Gravitational Wave Observatory.
Science and Technology
The United States-based National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has unveiled the prototype for six telescopes, known as the Engineering Development Unit Telescope, which is designed to study gravitational waves in outer space.
- The telescope was manufactured and assembled by L3Harris Technologies in Rochester, New York, USA.
- The telescope was developed as part of a collaborative mission with the European Space Agency (ESA), called the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). The mission involves a triangular formation of three spacecraft and is expected to launch in the mid-2030s.
Main Points:- (i) The telescope was developed as part of a collaborative mission with the European Space Agency (ESA), called the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). The mission involves a triangular formation of three spacecraft and is expected to launch in the mid-2030s.
(ii) Each spacecraft will be equipped with two telescopes to detect infrared laser beams from the other spacecraft. A gravitational wave will be identified when one of the spacecraft alters its characteristic pattern.
(iii) The prototype is made from an amber-colored glass-ceramic material called Zerodur, manufactured by Schott in Mainz, Germany.
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Administrator : Bill Nelson
Headquarters : Washington, D.C
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