<i>I'm always hoping some hole in relativity will allow FTL travel but the experimental results pretty much always verify what Einstein predicted.</i><br /><br />A thoughtful review by Megan Donahue, posted yesterday to <i>New Scientist</i>'s space blog:<br /><br />
Will Gravity Probe B fulfill its promise?<br /><br />Regarding a real test of one of Einstein's predictions - frame-dragging - a portion of the article is excerpted below:<br /><br /><i>. . . As mission leader Francis Everitt says on
NPR's All Things Considered, the measurements are now 1000 times less precise than they expected. Careful modelling may regain a factor of 100 by December.<br /><br />If that projection is correct, at least some measurement of frame-dragging might be possible. Reconciling Dr. Everitt's statement on NPR with Stanford's press release (a PDF of which is
here), it appears as if the team is optimistic about detecting frame-dragging, but perhaps not measuring it accurately enough to truly challenge the theory of general relativity....</i><br /><br />Problems interfering with the precision of the gyroscope data threaten the core of the mission. We may have to wait another 40 years for greater insight into FTL travel... : (