Nasa's Gravity Probe B has produced remarkable new confirmation of some key predictions by Albert Einstein.
The satellite's observations show the massive body of the Earth is very subtly Warping space and time, and even pulling them around with it.
Scientists were able to see these effects by studying the behaviour of four perfectly engineered spinning balls carried inside the probe.
The results will be published online in the journal Physical Review Letters.
They are significant because they underline once again the genius of the great German-born scientist, but also because they provide more refined tools to understand the physics that drives the cosmos.
On a more human level, the findings represent the culmination of an extraordinary odyssey for the leading lights of the mission, some of whom have dedicated more than five decades to the quest.
These include Francis Everitt…