Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 2942–2945 (2001)Deflection of Spacecraft Trajectories as a New Test of General RelativityReceived 29 September 2000; published in the issue dated 2 April 2001 We derive a simple formula which gives the general relativistic deflection of a spacecraft, idealized as a point mass, for all values of the asymptotic speed V∞ (0≤V∞≤1). Using this formula we suggest a new test of general relativity (GR) which can be carried out during a proposed interstellar mission that involves a close pass of the Sun. We show that, with foreseeable improvements in spacecraft tracking sensitivity, the deflection of a spacecraft's trajectory in the gravitational field of the Sun could provide a new test of GR. © 2001 The American Physical Society URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.86.2942
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevLett.86.2942
PACS:
04.80.Cc, 95.55.Pe
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