Gravity Probe B went up at 9:57 AM today

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the launch of Gravity Probe B (GPB), including details of the launch event, technical aspects of the mission, and expectations for data collection and results. Participants share personal experiences, links to resources, and inquire about the implications of the experiment on general relativity.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • One participant shares a firsthand account of the launch, noting the weather conditions and visual impressions of the rocket ascent.
  • Links to various GPB-related resources are provided, suggesting that many participants may already be familiar with the project.
  • Another participant mentions a Stanford Report article with technical details about the satellite's components and mission objectives.
  • There is speculation about the timeline for data collection, with some participants suggesting that readings from the gyroscopes could begin within weeks, while others express uncertainty about when preliminary results might be available.
  • One participant expresses curiosity about the properties of the quartz orbs used in the experiment, suggesting they may reveal new aspects of spacetime.
  • There is a humorous exchange regarding the expertise of one participant, with suggestions for alternative titles for their role in gathering information about GPB.
  • Multiple links are shared for ongoing updates and detailed mission timelines, indicating a collaborative effort to stay informed.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a mix of agreement and uncertainty regarding the timeline for data collection and the readiness of the experiment. There is no consensus on when preliminary results will be available, and various opinions on the implications of the experiment are presented.

Contextual Notes

Some participants note the potential for previously unknown properties of spacetime to be revealed, but this remains speculative. The discussion reflects a range of knowledge levels and familiarity with GPB, leading to varying interpretations of the mission's objectives and timelines.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to those following advancements in experimental tests of general relativity, as well as individuals looking for updates on the Gravity Probe B mission and its implications for physics.

marcus
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A friend of mine was at Vandenburg for the launch. I just spoke with her by phone and she gave me a guest's-eye view of the proceedings.
She says the briefings and talks earlier were a big part of it.
Almost more than watching the actual launch.

It was too windy in the high atmosphere for the scheduled Monday lift-off, so they delayed it till today. A lot of those invited had to leave Monday, so they missed it.

For security or some other reason, you couldn't watch any closer than 7 miles. They were bussed to an observation point 7 miles from the pad.
My friend says it went up at 9:57 in the morning----I don't know what the official news release says.

Earlier there had been a lot of fog, especially over the ocean. But by 9 AM it had cleared where they were and they had blue sky overhead. What was her visual impression of the first stage as she watched it ascend? "Extremely bright". Also that it left a smoke trail.
 
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Astronomy news on Phys.org
http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2004/april21/gpbshort-421.html

this came out today in the Stanford house organ "Stanford Report"
nice pictures---like of a niobium-coated quartz ball
clear easytoread story

a picture of the big dewar flask that holds
645 gallons of superfluid helium

the balls apparently are supposed to spin 5,000 to 10,000 rpm

the satellite is supposed to lock onto some star in Pegasus
to maintain fixed direction (to have something to compare the gyro axes to)

Leonard Schiff proposed it in 1959, how time flies
 
I seem to remember the mission will take 16 months.
But from what I gather, there's no reason why they can`t be taking readings from the giroscopes every few weeks. Preliminary results might be with us within a couple of months... as far as I gather. True?
 
Meemoe, why don't you be our expert on this experiment (unless Phobos, Integral, Enigma et al already have all the details ready)

for experimental tests of GR it doesn't get more authoritative than
Clifford Wills, and here is a technical article on GPB by Wills

http://arxiv.org/gr-qc/0212069

you are invited to report whatever you can find out from this
or other sources about GPB!

meemoe_uk said:
I seem to remember the mission will take 16 months.
But from what I gather, there's no reason why they can`t be taking readings from the giroscopes every few weeks. Preliminary results might be with us within a couple of months... as far as I gather. True?

I don't know when (or even whether) preliminary results might be made available. Does anyone know anything relevant to meemoe's question?
 
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I think it neat how spherical those quartz orbs measure! I would not be surprised if they exhibit previously unknown propreties of spacetime.
 
Meemoe and expert should not be used in the same sentence without a negator! But I read up on abit more on GPB and it won`t be ready for another 38 to 58 days.
 
meemoe_uk said:
Meemoe and expert should not be used in the same sentence without a negator! But I read up on abit more on GPB and it won`t be ready for another 38 to 58 days.

already you are telling me news
please say if your source is online
and give me the link so I can read up a bit more myself

it is very helpful to have a local expert, that is a person
who keeps more alert and finds more information about
something he is interested in, but I will think of another
name for the job (head look-out? the guy in the crows nest?
night watchman?)

what do you mean by "ready"
I really don't know a lot of details about this
although idea is exciting
 
MARCUS
you can subscribe to a weekly news update here
http://einstein.stanford.edu/

also on this page, full information of mission
click on.
GP-B Launch Companion in Adobe Acrobat PDF format.
here you will find a table that gives a time line
for all tasks to be completed befor science can
begin
 
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  • #10
thanks for the suggestion
more links anybody?

this is dated today 26 April

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2004/26apr_gpbtech.htm?list1111259
 
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  • #11
http://relativity.livingreviews.org/Articles/lrr-2003-2/index.html
an exhaustive look at GWs
 
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