Word: lowther
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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...signal off it and measure the time it takes for the reflected pulse of radio energy to return. This time interval, multiplied by the speed of light (which is the same as the speed of radio waves), gives the round-trip distance. But the speed of light, complains Dr. Lowther, is known only with the inaccuracy of three parts per million...
...speed of light is measured by reflecting a beam back and forth between carefully placed mirrors and clocking the time it takes the light to cover that measured distance. Dr. Lowther proposes to improve this experiment by using the pure brilliance of newly developed lasers (TIME, April 20) and new electronic techniques. He hopes to pinpoint the speed of light to three parts per 100 million, which will give the distance to the moon within...
Artificial Planet. Trouble is, that the astronomical unit is known with even greater inaccuracy than the speed of light. As Mars curves around its orbit, its measured distance from the earth may be as much as 2,000 miles in error. Dr. Lowther hopes to clear up this unhappy situation by lofting a small satellite into an orbit around the sun. Lowther's satellite would carry extremely sensitive radio equipment to amplify signals from earth and send them back again on a slightly different wave length. This sophisticated radar system would make no use of the speed of light...
After Dr. Lowther's noisy little artificial planet has been tracked through several trips around the sun, its orbit will be known with much greater accuracy than that of any natural planet. And from its carefully plotted position astronomers will be able to measure correctly the earth's distance from the sun. Then it will also be possible to plot accurate orbits for all the other planets...
Changed Concept? Besides drawing a precision map of the solar system, Dr. Lowther's artificial planet may get a crack at even more interesting jobs. Since its orbit will be slightly but measurably disturbed by the gravitational attraction of all the other passing planets, its waverings can be used to check the mass of individual planets. It may also detect large meteors that chance to streak close by. It may point to far-out, undiscovered planets, or even to dark, invisible stars. Its most radical use, Dr. Lowther figures, will be to check the inverse-square law, which says...