Was Einstein Right?

OK, just geeking out here for a moment....

Have you ever stayed up nights wondering if Albert Einstein was correct when he formulated his general theory of relativity?

Some folks at NASA have been working on a satellite, dubbed the Gravity Probe B (GP-B), to test the theory... since 1959! It's the longest development period of any mission in NASA history, according to this AP article. The primary components of the instrument package are four crystal gyroscopes, the most perfect spheres ever produced, that will allow the satellite to measure the effect the Earth's gravity has on space-time as the planet travels through space.

The GP-B was successfully launched Tuesday. It should be able to prove Einstein's theory over the course of its 18-month mission. So, you can sleep easy now.

Cool!