Space Cryogenics

摘要

Gravity Probe B (GPB) was conceived as a space mission to test certain predictions of Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. Surprisingly, there are only few rigorous experimental tests whose results unambiguously require the full weight of General Relativity As discussed by Everitt in Ref 1 below, for about 45 years the only rigorous test was the measurement of precession of Mercury's orbit, GPB was intended to remedy this situation by measuring the precession of a gyroscope revolving in orbit around the earth.