Overview of the NASA LISA Laser System Development

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) is developing a Laser System (LS) for the Laser
Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission, led by the European Space Agency (ESA) with
a launch date of 2035. The LS under development at NASA GSFC consists of a Laser Head
(LH), a Frequency Reference System (FRS), and Power Monitor (PMON) detector assemblies.
The LS development, which began in late 2016, follows the established NASA process in
demonstrating the performance requirements through the develoment of various models to
advance the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) [ 1]. The effort began with a successful
demonstration of a laboratory breadboard (TRL 4) and has achieved a status of TRL-6 (flight-
qualified) through rigorous testing and performance verification for space applications.

In this paper, we provide an overview of the development and roadmap for advancing the LISA
LS toward spaceflight by the NASA GSFC. Optomechanical and electronic details of each
component and subsystems are presented in this paper, as well as test results and technical
challenges that have been or are being overcome. As the project progresses, more detailed
results will be reported in future publications including representative scientific data in support
of the LISA launch, which is planned for 2035.