Related papers: On testing frame-dragging with LAGEOS and a recent…
We numerically work out the impact of the general relativistic Lense-Thirring effect on the Earth-Mercury range caused by the gravitomagnetic field of the rotating Sun. The peak-to peak nominal amplitude of the resulting time-varying signal…
The high accuracy now reached in the VLBI Earth Orientation Parameters (EOP) determination requires looking further at the various geophysical contributions to variations in EOP. The determination of the Earth gravity field from space…
Non-gravitational Yarkovsky-Rubincam effect for LAGEOS and LAGEOS 2 satellites used to probe General Relativity has been revealed by means of the Kolmogorov analysis of their perturbations. We present the method and its efficiency at…
The recently suggested SEE (Satellite Energy Exchange) method of measuring the gravitational constant $G$, possible equivalence principle violation (measured by the E\"{o}tv\"{o}s parameter $\eta$) and the hypothetic 5th force parameters…
We investigate the effects of gravitational lensing in the binary pulsar system J0737-3039. Current measurement of the orbital inclination allows the millisecond pulsar (A) to pass very close (at R_{min}=4000 km) in projection to the…
Earth tidal perturbations affecting laser-ranged satellites are critical for refining satellite orbital dynamics modeling, and their accurate computation represents a prerequisite for high-precision fundamental physical effects and geodetic…
Of all the solar fundamental parameters (mass, diameter, gravity at the surface,...), the gravitational moments have been quite often ignored in the past, mainly due to the great difficulty to get a reliable estimate. Even though the order…
We investigate the utility of a constellation of four satellites in heliocentric orbit, equipped with accurate means to measure intersatellite ranges, round-trip times and phases of signals coherently retransmitted between members of the…
On August 22, 2014, the satellites GSAT-0201 and GSAT-0202 of the European GNSS Galileo were unintentionally launched into eccentric orbits. Unexpectedly, this has become a fortunate scientific opportunity since the onboard hydrogen masers…
The possibility of a Newtonian gravitomagnetic field is considered here with its immediate and far-reaching implications for the interpretation of 2004 LAGEOS experimental results confirming the general relativistic prediction of…
We propose an under-ground experiment to detect the general relativistic effects due to the curvature of space-time around the Earth (de Sitter effect) and to rotation of the planet (dragging of the inertial frames or Lense-Thirring…
Gaia is an astrometric mission that will be launched in spring 2013. There are many scientific outcomes from this mission and as far as our Solar System is concerned, the satellite will be able to map thousands of main belt asteroids (MBAs)…
As gravity is a long-range force, one might a priori expect the Universe's global matter distribution to select a preferred rest frame for local gravitational physics. At the post-Newtonian approximation, two parameters suffice to describe…
In two analyses of orbital data from the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft, Iorio [1,2] has claimed confirmation of the frame-dragging effect predicted by general relativity. Initially to an accuracy of 6%, and now 0.5%, exceeding the…
Gravitational lensing is a powerful probe of cosmology and astrophysics. With the prospect of the first strongly lensed gravitational waves on the horizon, we highlight an opportunity to test fundamental physics. In this work, we assume a…
The rapid increase in the deployment of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, catering to diverse applications such as communication, Earth observation, environmental monitoring, and scientific research, has significantly amplified the…
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (Roman) mission is expected to launch in the mid-2020s. Its weak lensing program is designed to enable unprecedented systematics control in photometric measurements, including shear recovery,…
On February 13th 2012, the LARES satellite of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) was launched into orbit with the qualification flight of the new VEGA launcher of the European Space Agency (ESA). The payload was released very accurately in the…
The paper presents a re-entry analysis of Geosynchronous Orbit (GSO) satellites on disposal trajectories that enhance the effects of the Earth oblateness and lunisolar perturbations. These types of trajectories can lead to a natural…
Geometric optics approximation is sufficient to describe the effects in the near-Earth environment. In this framework Faraday rotation is purely a reference frame (gauge) effect. However, it cannot be simply dismissed. Establishing local…