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Preliminary Investigation of the Satellite Gravitational Red Shift ExperimentThe work performed under this contract involved study, design, and construction of experimental equipment to perform a short-term measurement of the gravitational red shift. In the system designed, phase comparison techniques are employed so that the time interval required to obtain a single measurement for one altitude is of the order of one minute. An elliptical orbit was chosen to permit measurement of frequency shift as a function of altitude. One particularly attractive orbit is that having a 12-hour orbiting period (perigee, 270 miles, apogee 24,800 miles). This orbit, shown in Fig. 1, allows continuous measurements to be made over an 11-hour interval during which time the altitude is varying greatly. Measurements can not be made for the succeeding 14 hours. Since the variation of frequency difference with altitude is of greatest interest, a fixed offset or a slow drift between the oscillator on the ground and. the oscillator in the satellite will not invalidate the measurements.
Document ID
20150019592
Acquisition Source
Headquarters
Document Type
Contractor or Grantee Report
Authors
Zacharias, J. R.
(Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Cambridge, MA, United States)
Searle, C. L.
(Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Cambridge, MA, United States)
Graham, J. W.
(Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Cambridge, MA, United States)
Badessa, R. S.
(Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Cambridge, MA, United States)
Bates, V. J.
(Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Cambridge, MA, United States)
Kent, R. L.
(Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Cambridge, MA, United States)
Date Acquired
October 21, 2015
Publication Date
February 1, 1961
Subject Category
Spacecraft Design, Testing And Performance
Astrodynamics
Astronomy
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NASw-143
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
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