Current spacecraft tests of general relativity depend on coherent radio tracking referred to atomic frequency standards at the ground stations. This paper addresses the possibility of improved tests using essentially the current system, but with the added possibility of a space-borne atomic clock. Outside of the obvious measurement of the gravitational frequency shift of the spacecraft clock, a successor to the suborbital flight of a Scout D rocket in 1976 (GP-A Project), other metric tests would benefit most directly by a possible improved sensitivity for the reduced coherent data. For purposes of illustration, two possible missions are discussed. The first is a highly eccentric Earth orbiter, and the second a solar-conjunction experiment to measure the Shapiro time delay using coherent Doppler data instead of the conventional ranging modulation.


    Access

    Access via TIB

    Check availability in my library


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Spacecraft Tests of General Relativity


    Contributors:


    Publication date :

    1997-08-01


    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English




    Spacecraft Tests of General Relativity

    Anderson, John D. | NTRS | 1996


    Inertial Navigation Method for Spacecraft Based on General Relativity

    He, Zhenni / Fei, Baojun / Du, Jian | Springer Verlag | 2022



    Relativity Mission Spacecraft Control System

    Dougherty, H. / Hegel, D. / Kirschenbaum, J. et al. | British Library Conference Proceedings | 1995