Huld Signs Deal on the World’s First Space-Based Gravitational Wave Observatory
Huld, now part of Gofore Group, has signed an agreement on a 10-year software project for Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), the first space-based observatory in the world for tracking gravitational waves.
This pioneering project led by the European Space Agency (ESA) wants to open a brand-new window on the dark Universe and test the known laws of physics to their extreme and helping understand e.g. massive black holes. The three LISA satellites will be placed in a triangle-shape within two millions of kilometers apart, so that the gravitational waves occurring between them can be observed. The agreement is worth 9.2 million euros to Huld and covers a period until the LISA satellites are launched on an Ariane 6 rocket in 2035.
Until now, gravitational waves have only been observed from land. LISA will be able to catch waves of lower frequency than the observatories on Earth, which will enable scientists to trace how massive black holes merge and grow across cosmic ages, explore the fundamental nature of gravity, and study the rate at which the Universe expands.
“This is one of the most ambitious scientific missions ever in Europe, and we are immensely proud to be part of it. We are grateful for ESA’s and Thales’ continued trust in Huld’s capabilities in critical space software. This is an inspiring example for the next generation of engineers of how Finnish engineering can contribute to world-class science”, comment’s Huld’s Director of Space Dubravka Ilic.
Huld’s agreement is with Thales Alenia Space Italia who is responsible for satellite avionics and telecommunications system, whereas Huld’s key role is the design, development, and extensive testing of the control software for the three LISA spacecrafts.
Huld is a technology company with 35 years of experience in demanding space and satellite applications. Huld provides mission-critical control systems for satellite platforms as well as scientific processing for atmospheric measurement and imaging tasks. Huld has worked on over 150 ESA projects, including the most recent Sentinel-4 and Sentinel-5 missions. Huld’s technology is actively orbiting Earth aboard numerous satellites, with its most distant presence reaching as far as Mercury.
Gofore announced its acquisition of Huld last July, and Huld became a part of the Gofore Group on 1 September 2025.