NASA Baffled by Unexplained Force Acting on Space Probes

John Anderson, retired astrophysicist from Caltech JPL has noticed something unusual:

“There is something very strange going on with spacecraft motions. We have no convincing explanation for either the Pioneer anomaly or the flyby anomaly.” The fact this effect seems most evident with flybys most asymmetrical with respect to Earth’s equator “suggests that the anomaly is related to Earth’s rotation,” Anderson said.

One possible explanation might be that the solar system is accelerating through space.

Mysteriously, four spacecraft that flew past the Earth have each displayed unexpected anomalies in their motions. These newfound enigmas join the so-called “Pioneer anomaly” as hints that unexplained forces may appear to act on spacecraft. A decade ago, after rigorous analyses, anomalies were seen with the identical Pioneer 10 and 11 spacecraft as they hurtled out of the solar system. Both seemed to experience a tiny but unexplained constant acceleration toward the sun.

NASA Baffled by Unexplained Force Acting on Space Probes

via Space.com