Will this European satellite confirm Einstein’s last unproven idea?
by Robin McKie from on (#VB8G)
The Lisa Pathfinder will test equipment for an orbiting observatory that will peer into the universe's darkest corners
It was perhaps the greatest scientific achievement of the 20th century. And next week space scientists will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the publication of Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity in fitting style - by launching a probe to help demonstrate the accuracy of the theory's last unproven prediction: the existence of gravitational waves.
At 4.15am on 2 December, the satellite, known as Lisa Pathfinder, is scheduled to be blasted into orbit from the European Space Agency's centre in Kourou, French Guiana. It will carry equipment that will be tested as components for a future orbiting gravitational wave observatory.
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