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First Gravitational Wave Space Observatory in Scotland
The world’s first Gravitational Wave Space Observatory will put Scotland yet again at the heart of UK space activity.
20:23 18 June 2018
Scientists in Scotland are set to study ripples in space and time at the world’s first ever Gravitational Wave Space Observatory, courtesy of the £1.7million funding from the UK Space Agency.
Scientists at the University of Glasgow’s Institute for Gravitational Research and the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s UK Astronomy Technology Centre (UK ATC) will develop the optical benches, the key technology needed to detect gravitational waves.
The space observatory will empower scientists to study these mysterious waves, which will help improve our understanding of the evolution and structure of the universe. It will build on the success the European Space Agency’s LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) pathfinder mission and on work already taking place where researchers are contributing to the ongoing LIGO project that made the first detection of gravitational waves in 2015.
Chris Lee, Head of Space Science at the UK Space Agency, said: “The University of Glasgow has a worldwide reputation for gravitational waves research, with the pioneering work of Professor Ron Drever in the 1960s leading to the Nobel Prize-winning detection of the waves in 2015. This new funding ensures this legacy continues with the LISA mission, alongside crucial technology innovation from the UK ATC in Edinburgh. Scotland is yet again at the heart of UK space activity.”