For years, scientists have been trying — and failing — to detect theoretical ripples in space-time called gravitational waves. But new research suggests that building just one more detector might finally do the trick.

Four gravitational wave detectors are currently in operation. Proposals have been submitted to build three more, one each in Japan, Australia and India. Constructing just one of these would double the amount of sky being covered in current searches for gravitational waves and would drastically increase the chances of a detection, according to the study.

The study, by physicist Bernard Schutz of the Albert Einstein Institute in Germany, waspublished May 27 in the journal Classical and Quantum Gravity.