Lift-off for Lisa Pathfinder! Mission to detect Einstein's gravitational waves successfully [tr]

UK Daily Mail ^ | December 3, 2015 | Richard Gray

[C19fan]

A Vega rocket carrying the European Space Agency's Lisa Pathfinder has finally blasted into orbit after being delayed by a 'technical issue'. The rocket, with the probe mounted on top, lifted off earlier today in Kourou, French Guiana, to begin its mission to hunt for gravitational waves in space. Gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of space-time, predicted a century ago by Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, but until now have proved elusive. The rocket had been expected to launch on 2 December - exactly 100 years since Einstein published his theory - but 'technical issues' delayed it by 24 hours.

[C19fan]

There are ground based experiments, large interferometers, trying to detect gravity waves but this is the first space based on. There are ambitious plans to place multiple satellites in space to act as a massive interfermoeter.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Shoot, everyone knows there are gravitational waves. That’s why I weigh more at some times than others.

[Steely Tom]

So far, not one of the ground-based detectors has picked up a signal.

Not even coincident with the SN1978a, which caused a neutrino burst that was picked up by Super-Kamiokande.

[I want the USA back]

“ripples in the fabric of space-time”
sorry, but metaphors are not valid scientific explanations.

[precisionshootist]

"A Vega rocket carrying the European Space Agency's Lisa Pathfinder"

Meanwhile NASA is working diligently on muslim outreach.