Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), has been awarded a major contract by prime contractor OHB System AG to provide critical systems for the European Space Agency’s groundbreaking LISA mission. The total contract value is €89.5 million.
The initial €16.5 million Phase B2 contract covers the design, manufacture, assembly, integration, and testing of the Propulsion Subsystem at Thales Alenia Space’s UK facility. This will be followed by Phases C and D.
LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) will be the first space-based observatory dedicated to detecting gravitational waves—ripples in spacetime predicted by Einstein. Its unprecedented sensitivity will allow scientists to study events like merging supermassive black holes, opening a new window on the universe.
The mission will feature three satellites flying in a triangular formation 2.5 million kilometers apart, trailing Earth’s orbit. Slated for a 2035 launch on an Ariane 6 rocket, each spacecraft will carry test masses in near-perfect free-fall. Lasers will measure the minute displacements between these masses across the vast distance, with precision smaller than an atom’s diameter.
Beyond propulsion, Thales Alenia Space will supply several mission-critical elements to OHB. These include the spacecraft avionics and control software, the telecommunication system, and the vital Drag-Free and Attitude Control System (DFACS). The DFACS will establish the laser links between satellites and compensate for non-gravitational forces like solar radiation pressure, ensuring the test masses follow a pure gravitational trajectory.
The company will also ensure the payload’s exceptional electromagnetic, radiation, and self-gravity environment. Leonardo contributes key micro-propulsion assemblies for extreme attitude control.
Thales Alenia Space leverages heritage from LISA Pathfinder, which proved the core technology, and from programs like Gaia and Euclid. “We are delighted that OHB has selected Thales Alenia Space in the UK to contribute our advanced capabilities to this remarkable scientific mission,” said Richard Thorburn, CEO of Thales Alenia Space UK. “We look forward to collaborating to support ESA’s ambition to expand our understanding of the Universe.”
