{author}        National Aeronautics and Space Administration

{date}          11-Jul-2003

{description}   VANDENBERG AFB, CALIF. At Vandenberg AFB, the canister enclosing
                the Gravity Probe B (GP-B) spacecraft is removed from the
                transporter. 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.

{highres}       3000 x 1968

{highsize}      2508291

{hightype}      JPEG

{keywords}      NASA,KSC,Kennedy Space Center

{lowres}        320 x 209

{lowsize}       76639

{lowtype}       GIF

{mediumres}     1024 x 671

{mediumsize}    103026

{mediumtype}    JPEG

{number}        KSC-03PD-2744

{slideres}      120 x 108

{slidesize}     15500

{slidetype}     GIF

{tinyres}       100 x 65

{tinysize}      8174

{tinytype}      GIF

{title}         KSC-03PD-2744

{type}          Image

{end}