I Can a Gyroscope in a Satellite Detect Orbit?

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Gyroscopes on satellites, such as those used in the Gravity Probe B experiment, can detect changes in orientation relative to a global reference, like distant stars, due to the effects of general relativity. While in free fall, a gyroscope does not sense any deviation from its geodesic path unless external forces act upon it. The discussion highlights that geodesics are straight paths in curved spacetime, and the gyroscope's behavior is influenced by the curvature caused by massive bodies. Frame dragging, a phenomenon tested by Gravity Probe B, occurs due to the rotation of a massive object and affects the gyroscope's orientation. Understanding these effects is crucial for interpreting satellite data and the influence of gravity on their paths.
  • #31
cianfa72 said:
In this video at 06:30 the astronaut places the gyroscope on the string attached to the walls of the ISS cabin. I'm not sure whether the gyroscope was rotating about itself when placed on the string or was not.
It's the ISS, which rotated, not the gyroscope axis:

Robert Frost - Flight Operations Directorate at NASA said:
The ISS rotates about its center of mass at a rate of about 4 degrees per minute so that it will complete a full rotation once per orbit. This allows it to keep its belly towards the Earth.
Source:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2017/10/03/how-does-the-iss-travel-around-the-earth/
 
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  • #32
Sagittarius A-Star said:
It's the ISS, which rotated, not the gyroscope axis:
Yes, definitely. What I can't clearly see from the video is: was the gyroscope spinning about its axis when the astronaut placed it on the string ?
 

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