The universe revealed by gravitational waves (GWs) is much richer and enigmatic than we had believed. The last decade has shown us that the universe is suffused with GWs which 'illuminate' the structure of our spacetime. In order to use this astronomical tool to probe fundamental physics, 3 key experimental hurdles must be overcome: removing the influence of environmental noise, evading the fundamental thermodynamic fluctuations of materials, and finding loopholes in the Heisenberg uncertainty of quantum measurement. Is this trifecta really possible in the coming decade, or does the field of GW astronomy have a limited future?