Beyond Einstein Program - NASA

The Beyond Einstein program has three linked elements which advance science and technology towards two visions: to detect directly gravitational wave signals from the earliest possible moments of the Big Bang, and to image the event horizon of a black hole. The central element is a pair of Einstein Great Observatories, Constellation-X and LISA. These powerful facilities will blaze new paths to the questions about black holes, the Big Bang, and dark energy. They will also address other central goals of contemporary astrophysics (discussed in Part II of the 2003 Roadmap). The second element is a series of competitively selected Einstein probes, each focused on one of the science questions. The third element is a program of technology development, theoretical studies, and education, to support the Probes and the vision missions: the Big Bang Observer and the Black Hole Imager. The program offers competitive opportunities for mission leadership, technology development, and groundbreaking scientific research, with goals that excite the public.