Astrophysics (Index) | About |
LARES (for Laser Relativity Satellite) is an Italian satellite in low Earth orbit since 2012 intended to test a general relativity (GR) effect. It consists of a considerable mass with attached retroreflectors (reflectors that reflect back to the source, such as used in highway signs and on bicycles) such that it can be precisely tracked with ground lasers. Its main purpose is to test the existence of the Lense-Thirring effect, a type of GR-specific precession due to frame dragging. Outside strong-field gravity, e.g., orbiting Earth, the effect is extremely small, detection and measurement requiring data from considerable experiment-time, and considerable analysis to compensate for more conventional effects on such an orbit. LARES 2 is an improved version of the satellite launched in 2022.