On the high accuracy to test dragging of inertial frames with the LARES 2 space experiment

Abstract

Abstract In this paper we treat some aspects of the LARES 2 space experiment to test the general relativistic phenomenon of dragging of inertial frames, or frame-dragging, in particular we discuss some aspects of its relative accuracy which can approach one part in a thousand. We then, once again respond to the criticisms of the author of a recent paper about the accuracy in the measurement of frame-dragging with LARES 2. The claims of such a paper are not reproducible in any independent analyses. Indeed, it claims that the accuracy in the test of frame-dragging, which can be reached by the LARES 2 space experiment, is several orders of magnitude larger than previously estimated in a number of papers. Here we show that such a paper is based on a number of significant misunderstandings and conceptual mistakes. Furthermore, it is puzzling to observe that previous papers by the same author contained completely opposite statements about the accuracy which can be reached using two satellites with supplementary inclinations, such as in the LARES 2 space experiment, and in general with laser-ranged satellites.