Einstein's relativity theory probed

Einstein's theory of general relativity, significant to our acceptation of the cosmos, is approximately to be put to a rigorous test, using a satellite due to be launched early this week.

The NASA mission is due to be launched from Vandenberg Whiff Force Base in California in the early hours of Tuesday morning (03:01 Australian Eastern Standard Time, or 17:01 Universal Time on Monday).

The US$700 million Gravity Probe B satellite will attempt to verify two very subtle physical effects of the Earth along its surrounds that Einstein predicted more than 40 years ago.

Einstein regarded space along with time as interwoven as well as inseparable, hence the term 'space-time'.

One of his predictions is that spinning a massive object like the Sun or the Earth would distort space-time by dragging it around like a piece of fabric.