{author}        National Aeronautics and Space Administration

{date}          12-Sep-2003

{description}   VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. In the spacecraft processing facility on
                North Vandenberg Air Force Base, the Gravity Probe B experiment
                sits on an assembly and test stand where it has been subject to
                various prelaunch testing. The Gravity Probe B will launch a
                payload of four gyroscopes into low-Earth polar orbit to test two
                extraordinary predictions of Albert Einsteins general theory of
                relativity: the geodetic effect (how space and time are warped by
                the presence of the Earth) and frame dragging (how Earths
                rotation drags space and time around with it). Once in orbit, for
                18 months each gyroscopes spin axis will be monitored as it
                travels through local spacetime, observing and measuring these
                effects. The experiment was developed by Stanford University,
                Lockheed Martin and NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center. The
                targeted launch date is Dec. 6, 2003.

{highres}       1968 x 3000

{highsize}      2845283

{hightype}      JPEG

{keywords}      NASA,KSC,Kennedy Space Center

{lowres}        157 x 239

{lowsize}       43350

{lowtype}       GIF

{mediumres}     503 x 767

{mediumsize}    100259

{mediumtype}    JPEG

{number}        KSC-03PD-2867

{slideres}      120 x 108

{slidesize}     15500

{slidetype}     GIF

{tinyres}       65 x 100

{tinysize}      8174

{tinytype}      GIF

{title}         KSC-03PD-2867

{type}          Image

{end}