The Concept of a Low Cost Space Mission to Measure ‘Big G’

R. Longstaff (2019), JBIS, 72, pp.172-179

Refcode: 2019.72.172

Abstract:
The Universal Gravitational constant “G” defines the force of gravity – one of the four fundamental forces of nature. However, the currently accepted value of G is orders of magnitude less accurate than the other fundamental constants, and ground based experiments differ from each other by as much as 500 ppm in its measurement. This paper describes a simple, space based experiment that could measure G to within 50 ppm, thereby producing a valuable scientific measurement using a completely different method and subject to different sources of error. The experiment could also contribute to the ongoing investigation into the nature of gravity.