Empirical Earth · Space, Satellites & the Edges of the Map

GPS only works with relativity

The claim

“GPS is just triangulation; relativity is irrelevant.”

What is measured

GPS clocks gain +38 µs/day from relativity (45 GR − 7 SR). Skip the correction and your position drifts ~10 km per day.

What would show this is wrong

GPS staying accurate to the meter without applying the +38 µs/day relativistic clock correction.

Sources

  1. Relativity in the Global Positioning System. Satellite clocks run a net +38 µs/day (45 µs GR − 7 µs SR); uncorrected, positions drift ~10 km/day. After N. Ashby. GPS & relativity . link
  2. Atomic clocks flown around the world. In October 1971, J.C. Hafele and R.E. Keating flew four caesium atomic clocks around the world eastward and westward on commercial jets; relative to U.S link
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