The Beyond Einstein program is a NASA project designed to explore the limits of General theory of Relativity of Albert Einstein. The project includes two

space observatories A space telescope or space observatory is a telescope in outer space used to observe astronomical objects. Suggested by Lyman Spitzer in 1946, the first operational telescopes were the American Orbiting Astronomical Observatory, OAO-2 launched ...

, and several observational cosmology probes. The program culminates with the Einstein Vision probes, after completion of the Great Observatories program. Constellation-X Observatory (Con-X) and the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) have been promoted by NASA as the Einstein Great Observatories, to differentiate them from the current generation. However, they are not a part of the Great Observatories program.

Program missions

Einstein Great Observatories

* Constellation-X (Con-X) (cancelled - Merged with International X-ray Observatory (IXO)): the next-generation X-ray space observatory * Laser Interferometer Space Antenna LISA ( LISA Pathfinder in 2015): a

gravitational wave Gravitational waves are waves of the intensity of gravity generated by the accelerated masses of an orbital binary system that propagate as waves outward from their source at the speed of light. They were first proposed by Oliver Heaviside in 1 ...

space observatory. The NASA component of this mission was terminated in 2011; within the

European Space Agency , owners = , headquarters = Paris, Île-de-France, France , coordinates = , spaceport = Guiana Space Centre , seal = File:ESA emblem seal.png , seal_size = 130px , image = Views in the Main Control Room (1205 ...

's Cosmic Vision program, an evolved LISA has been chosen to proceed with a tentative launch date in 2034.

Einstein Probes

* Inflation Probe: designed to examine the cosmic microwave background (CMB)

polarization Polarization or polarisation may refer to: Mathematics *Polarization of an Abelian variety, in the mathematics of complex manifolds *Polarization of an algebraic form, a technique for expressing a homogeneous polynomial in a simpler fashion by ...

; a follow-up to Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) and

Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe The Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP), originally known as the Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP and Explorer 80), was a NASA spacecraft operating from 2001 to 2010 which measured temperature differences across the sky in the cosmic mic ...

(WMAP) * Black-Hole Finder Probe (BHFP): a complement to Constellation-X Observatory (HTXS) * Dark Energy Probe: the Joint Dark Energy Mission (JDEM) was studied extensively in three different implementations: ** Supernova/Acceleration Probe (SNAP) - no longer under study. Superseded by the

Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (shortened as Roman or the Roman Space Telescope, and formerly the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope or WFIRST) is a NASA infrared space telescope currently in development and scheduled to launch by Ma ...

(Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope) **

Dark Energy Space Telescope The Joint Dark Energy Mission (JDEM) was an Einstein probe that planned to focus on investigating dark energy. JDEM was a partnership between NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). In August 2010, the Board on Physics and Astronomy of ...

(Destiny) - no longer under study. Superseded by the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope ( Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope) ** Advanced Dark Energy Physics Telescope (ADEPT) - no longer under study. Superseded by the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope) The science of the Dark Energy Probe was folded into the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (WFIRST) mission upon recommendation by a National Research Council committee in 2010.

Einstein Vision missions

* Big Bang Observer, a follow-up mission to LISA and Inflation Probe, also a gravitational-wave observatory * Black-Hole Imager (MAXIM): an X-ray observation of infalling gas at the event horizon of a black hole; a follow-up to HTXS and BHFP

References

External links