+101 votes
in Physics by
edited by

Your answer

Your name to display (optional):
Privacy: Your email address will only be used for sending these notifications.
+41 votes
by

Computers on the International Space Station (ISS) are indeed affected by time dilation, but the effects are negligible and can be practically ignored for most applications. Time dilation is a phenomenon predicted by Einstein's theory of relativity, which states that time can appear to move slower or faster depending on the relative motion of observers or the strength of gravitational fields.

The ISS is in low Earth orbit, where the effects of time dilation are relatively small compared to higher orbits or speeds close to the speed of light. The velocity of the ISS, although significant relative to Earth's surface, is still much lower than the speed of light. Similarly, the gravitational field around the ISS is not significantly different from that of Earth's surface.

For example, time dilation on the ISS due to its velocity is estimated to be about 0.007 seconds per day compared to an observer on Earth's surface. The gravitational time dilation is even smaller, on the order of microseconds per day. These differences are so minuscule that they can be neglected for the vast majority of computational tasks performed on the ISS.

However, it is worth noting that precise timekeeping is crucial for some scientific experiments and synchronization between different systems on the ISS. To account for relativistic effects, adjustments can be made using specialized algorithms or synchronization protocols. But in general, the impact of time dilation on computers and everyday operations aboard the ISS is not a significant concern.

Welcome to Physicsgurus Q&A, where you can ask questions and receive answers from other members of the community.
...