countdown..

[TeV]

Gravity probe launching countdown :
For those who haven't heard yet...After almost 40 years ,one of the neatest experiments for testing GR will be finally conducted :
http://einstein.stanford.edu/

[Nereid]

Predictions from GR have been made, and the expected effects are within the capabilities of the satellite ... these effects have not been observed before, so it will be yet another test of GR (and any remaining alternatives which can match the results of experiments and observations done to date, within the limits of observational error*).

*does anyone know of any?

[turin]

Well, what a disapointment today. Hopefully tomorrow. The thing that most fascinates me is the narrowness of the launch window. It seems a bit extraordinary that the boosters can be so controlled during the procedure that we can use windows on the order of 1 sec. Furthermore, what about unforseen atmospheric anomolies? How can a window be specified so narrowly in light of the potential for a strong unforseen wind? Would such an occurance devastate the launch attempt, or are there some elaborate control systems that accomodate for this?