Gravitational-wave astronomy with ground-based observatories: status and future prospects

This talk will present an update on the current state of gravitational-wave (GW) astronomy in 2024, focussing on observations with ground-based interferometric detectors.  With the fourth observing run of the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA detector network at its halfway point, we are significantly expanding the catalogs of GW transient observations, adding to the  ~100 compact binary mergers observed between 2015 and 2020, and further advancing our understanding of astrophysics, cosmology and fundamental physics. The current generation of GW interferometers is expected to reach their design sensitivity in the late 2020s, with future directions of GW astronomy from the ground already under discussion. I will highlight the science case for the Einstein Telescope, the proposed third-generation (3G) detector in Europe, and shed a light on the significant challenges that need to be overcome on the road to 3G, both in instrument science and data analysis development.