Testing frame-dragging with the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft in the gravitational field of Mars

Abstract

In this paper we propose an interpretation of the time series of the RMS overlap differences of the out-of-plane part $N$ of the orbit of the Martian polar orbiter Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) over a time span Delta P of about 5 years (14 November 1999-14 January 2005) in terms of the general relativistic gravitomagnetic Lense-Thirring effect. It turns out that the average of such a time series over Delta P, normalized to the predicted Lense-Thirring out-of-plane mean shift over the same time span, is \mu= 1.0018 +/- 0.0053. A linear fit of the considered time series over Delta P yields a normalized slope 1.1 +/- 0.3 strengthening our interpretation of the determined MGS out-of-plane features of motion as due to the gravitomagnetic force of Mars.