MG14 - Talk detail

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The European Space Agency (ESA) has selected the Gravitational Universe as the theme of a large-class mission with a nominal launch date of 2034. The definition of feasibility and reduction of risks for such a space-borne observatory are therefore mandatory. Timely, the LISA Pathfinder spacecraft by ESA itself is on schedule to fly by autumn 2015, this year! Implementing a high precision free-fall in-flight system orbiting a Lagrangian point, the mission relies on technologies never used before in space environments. I will briefly describe the LISA Technology Package instrument and then relate its science concept to the real space Operations we foresee, detailing the Experiments to be realized onboard and the Data Analysis in plan for the science cruise. Noise characterization and its reduction via tuning of couplings or offline subtraction will pave the way for the calibration of any similar space-borne interferometric Observatory of gravitational waves. Free parabolic flight, the study of the effect of magnetic fields and thermal excitations are just a few items in the rich scientific scenario LISA Pathfinder will disclose. I will also present the team building effort of the last two years, the plan towards launch and what we expect to be the real roster during operations.

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