What is Gravity Probe B?
Gravity Probe B was a satellite-based physics experiment, launched on 20 April 2004, which used four gyroscopes and one telescope to make delicate measurements. The purpose of the experiment was to detect the curvature created by the earth’s gravitational field, along with associated ‘frame-dragging’ effects. The gyroscopes, suspended in vessels of superfluid helium at temperatures close to absolute zero, are the four most spherical objects ever created by human hands. Gravity Probe B continues to orbit the earth, but its instrumentation became useless in late 2005, having served its course. The Gravity Probe B craft used some of the most sophisticated scientific instrumentation available at the time. Funded by NASA and led by Stanford University’s physics department, Gravity Probe B marks the first time that a university has been in charge of a NASA-funded project. Lockheed Martin was the main subcontractor for the project, building most of the launch hardware. The science package was
Gravity Probe B was a satellite-based physics experiment, launched on 20 April 2004, which used four gyroscopes and one telescope to make delicate measurements. The purpose of the experiment was to detect the curvature created by the earth’s gravitational field, along with associated ‘frame-dragging?effects. The gyroscopes, suspended in vessels of superfluid helium at temperatures close to absolute zero, are the four most spherical objects ever created by human hands. Gravity Probe B continues to orbit the earth, but its instrumentation became useless in late 2005, having served its course. The Gravity Probe B craft used some of the most sophisticated scientific instrumentation available at the time. Funded by NASA and led by Stanford University’s physics department, Gravity Probe B marks the first time that a university has been in charge of a NASA-funded project. Lockheed Martin was the main subcontractor for the project, building most of the launch hardware. The science package was
