Abstract
The Relativity Mission, Gravity Probe B (GP-B) is the most complex gravitational space experiment to date and the first controlled experiment in which a General Relativistic effect is the main feature of the data. Launched on April 20, 2004 it has successfully taken science data from August 29, 2004 to August 15, 2005. Using four high precision gyroscopes GP-B measures the relativistic precessions of the frame of reference in a 642 km polar orbit. The two precessions are predicted in General Relativity to be the geodetic effect, 6.6 arcsec/year, and the frame dragging effect, 0.042 arcsec/year. Comprehensive pre and post mission calibrations have been performed between April 20 and August 27, 2004 and between August 15 and September 29, 2005. GP-B is the first experiment to see General Relativity directly as the main effect of the measurement and has demonstrated that very complex physics experiments can perform flawlessly in space. We present engineering performance data and general operational information for the major systems of the mission. Lessons learned from the GP-B experience and their impact on the development of technology for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) and the Space Test of the Equivalence Principle (STEP) are discussed. Technology progress for the design of the next generation of drag-free sensors is presented. Preliminary results set the measurement accuracy at ± 97 marcs/year or about ± 1.5% of the geodetic effect. The GP-B science team is continuing to refine the analysis of the data and further improvements in accuracy are expected. Final science results will be released in December 2007.
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This research supported by NASA on contract NAS8-39225.
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Saps Buchman for the GP-B Collaboration. (2010). The Relativity Mission Gravity Probe B, Testing Einstein’s Universe. In: Ciufolini, I., Matzner, R. (eds) General Relativity and John Archibald Wheeler. Astrophysics and Space Science Library, vol 367. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3735-0_18
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3735-0_18
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