I've never heard of this mission which is set for 2002, sounds quite fascinating.


http://einstein.stanford.edu/index.html

It's been "imminent" for decades.

I find the concept of the navigation fascinating--they want to study a rotating sphere in a path around the Earth unhindered by friction, so they encase the sphere in another satellite and actively monitor the spheres position to keep it centered. The outside satellite runs interference for the sphere.

NASA launch forecast shows it October of 2002, from Vandenberg. Hmmm, just enough time to come up with a new theory of gravity...

What happened to Probe A, and when did they know...?
:wink:
The big day is finally here, now we will learn what we pretty much allready know, but still...

http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/elvnew/gpb/index.htm

http://www.gravityprobeb.com/

Gravity Probe B FAQ: What happened to Gravity Probe "A"?

GP-A was a suborbital mission launched in 1976.

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While we're on the topic, I read in in the FAQ that the launch window for "Gravity Probe B" is extrememly short. Any ideas why?

If the thing is going into orbit (and not going to rendezvous with another object ) it seems that launch time would be pretty-much irrelevent. What am I missing?

That they're using a preselected guide star that needs to be continuously visible?

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Launch has been postponed at least until tomorrow (12:57:24 pm EDT). Upper level wind conditions changed, and there wasn't enough time to update the profile on the launch vehicle and verify that the update was correct.

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Makes sense to me. I should have read a little further into the FAQ. ops:

Thanks.

Absolutely, there is simply nothing to the "Transdimentional Rift" rumor at all, that Probe A had fell into.... Think yesterday's launch window was only 60 seconds, welp, better luck today.

From what I've read, Gravity Probe B has a one second launch window!

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T. Anderson

GP-B is ready for launch. As I write this, it's go for launch in 20 minutes! Watch it on NASA TV.

Looks like smooth launch...thanks, BA, for that "heads up'. If you hadn't posted that I would have missed the whole thing!

Successful launch! My timing was perfect, as I saw your post about a minute before it started.

I missed the launch by 9 minutes. #-o . That will teach me for eating lunch when I should've been reading the board.

Exactly! See, you're learning well. NEVER leave the board.

We can leave the board???
I wasn't aware of that option.

I also watched the launch; however, I have not been able to find out anything since the separation of GP-B from its booster rocket's second stage.

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=D> =D> =D>

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Lighten up! This is a stellar board! Author: duh.

"The Sun, with all the planets revolving around it, and depending on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as though it had nothing else in the universe to do..." Author: Galileo supposedly.

A Pocket of Near-Perfection - good Science@NASA article about the purpose and implementation of Gravity Probe B.

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All Systems Go On Gravity Probe B

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Everything I need to know I learned through Googling.