NASA mission confirms elements of general relativity
Posted: Thu, May 5, 2011, 7:30 AM ET (1130 GMT)
A NASA mission more than half a century in the making has confirmed two key predictions of Einstein's theory of general relativity, project officials said Wednesday. Gravity Probe-B (GP-B), launched in 2004 but first proposed in the late 1950s, was able to detect the warping of spacetime caused by a gravitational body, as well as frame dragging, the effect on space time by a spinning object. The spacecraft measured these effects with four ultra-precise gyroscopes as the spacecraft orbited the Earth, aimed at one particular star. The conclusions are not particularly surprising, since other experiments and spacecraft have also collected evidence in support of general relativity, but project scientists said the GP-B data is the most direct confirmation of general relativity to date, although not to the same degree of precision as originally expected.
A NASA mission more than half a century in the making has confirmed two key predictions of Einstein's theory of general relativity, project officials said Wednesday. Gravity Probe-B (GP-B), launched in 2004 but first proposed in the late 1950s, was able to detect the warping of spacetime caused by a gravitational body, as well as frame dragging, the effect on space time by a spinning object. The spacecraft measured these effects with four ultra-precise gyroscopes as the spacecraft orbited the Earth, aimed at one particular star. The conclusions are not particularly surprising, since other experiments and spacecraft have also collected evidence in support of general relativity, but project scientists said the GP-B data is the most direct confirmation of general relativity to date, although not to the same degree of precision as originally expected.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Sunday, January 12
Northrop Grumman’s Protected Tactical SATCOM Rapid Prototype Payload Assembled, Begins Space Vehicle Integration
Northrop Grumman — 10:23 am ET (1523 GMT) Interstellar Reached Agreement on Capital and Business Alliance with Woven by Toyota, a Toyota Group Company to Become a Leading Space Infrastructure Provider
Interstellar Technologies — 10:16 am ET (1516 GMT) Nokia’s Cellular Network Ready for Moon as Intuitive Machines Completes Final Lunar Lander Installation
Intuitive Machines — 10:14 am ET (1514 GMT) Open Cosmos will manufacture the first Balearic satellite to understand the impact of climate change in the Balearic Islands
Open Cosmos — 10:13 am ET (1513 GMT) Dragonfly Aerospace Partners with LatConnect 60 for Advanced SWIR Imaging Satellites
Dragonfly Aerospace — 10:12 am ET (1512 GMT) |
