Discussion Overview
The discussion centers on whether NASA employs Einsteinian corrections, specifically Special Relativity (SR) or General Relativity (GR), in their calculations for interplanetary missions, or if they rely solely on Newtonian mechanics. The scope includes theoretical considerations and practical implications of mission planning and execution.
Discussion Character
- Debate/contested
- Technical explanation
- Conceptual clarification
Main Points Raised
- Some participants suggest that NASA primarily uses Newtonian mechanics for interplanetary missions, particularly for the moon missions.
- Others argue that given the high stakes and costs of missions, it would be surprising if General Relativity was not considered in some capacity.
- One participant asserts that the velocities involved are too low for special relativistic effects to be significant, and that the distances involved make full GR calculations impractical.
- Another participant mentions that while post-Newtonian corrections could theoretically be included, they would likely be overshadowed by uncertainties in other areas of the mission.
- It is proposed that while JPL may use post-Newtonian corrections for planetary ephemerides, these corrections are not essential for interplanetary missions due to the overwhelming errors from other factors.
- Concerns are raised about the complexity of incorporating relativistic effects, with some suggesting that any deviations from Newtonian mechanics would be negligible and manageable through other means.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
Participants express differing views on the necessity and application of Einsteinian corrections in NASA's interplanetary missions. There is no consensus on whether these corrections are routinely used or if they are deemed unnecessary.
Contextual Notes
Limitations include the potential oversight of specific mission parameters, the complexity of relativistic calculations in multi-body systems, and the reliance on existing mechanisms for trajectory estimation.