LISA Pathfinder set to launch, paving way for discovery of gravity's secrets

Tomorrow's mission is designed to test technology which, if successful, will allow us to "listen" to the universe using Einstein's general theory of relativitiy

Tomorrow at 04:15 GMT, the European Space Agency (ESA) will launch the LISA Pathfinder spacecraft from Kourou, French Guiana. The choice of date is no accident. December 2nd is the 100th anniversary of Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity, the best theory we have of gravity.

LISA Pathfinder is a pioneering mission designed to test new technology that will allow us to use Einstein's theory to study the universe in more detail than ever before. If all goes well, astronomers will eventually find themselves with the equivalent of a new sense, like adding sound to vision.