NEXT SPACEFLIGHT

Status

Success

LISA Pathfinder

Launch Time
Thu Dec 03, 2015 04:04 UTC

Flight VV06.

Rocket

Vega
Image Credit: Arianespace
Arianespace
Status: Retired
Price: $37.0 million
Liftoff Thrust: 2,200 kN
Payload to LEO: 1,436 kg
Stages: 4
Strap-ons: 0
Rocket Height: 29.9 m
Fairing Diameter: 2.6 m
Fairing Height: 7.88 m

Mission Details

LISA Pathfinder

LISA Pathfinder, formerly Small Missions for Advanced Research in Technology-2 (SMART-2), was an ESA spacecraft. The mission tested technologies needed for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), an ESA gravitational wave observatory planned to be launched in 2034. The scientific phase started on 8 March 2016 and lasted almost sixteen months. In April 2016 ESA announced that LISA Pathfinder demonstrated that the LISA mission is feasible.

Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 1,910.0 kg
Sun–Earth L1

Location

ELV, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana, France

Stats

2015

74th orbital launch attempt

Arianespace

232nd mission
11th mission of 2015
224th successful mission
15th consecutive successful mission

Vega

6th mission
3rd mission of 2015
6th successful mission