This final measured value came in incredibly close to Einstein’s general relativity predictions, carrying a tiny margin of error of just one to two parts per thousand based on their statistical models.
Post-Einstein physics
The measurement confirmed general relativity once more, but Ciufolini thinks its true value lies in what it rules out. General relativity is incompatible with quantum mechanics, despite our best efforts to reconcile the two, and does not explain dark energy. The Chern-Simons theory, one of the leading alternatives that emerged from quantum gravity frameworks, modifies Einstein’s equations and introduces mathematical corrections expected to make them work at ultra-small scales where quantum mechanics and gravity must coexist.
While it does not fully reconcile Einstein’s physics with quantum mechanics and does not offer a universally accepted solution to the dark energy issue, many physicists think Chern-Simons brings us one step closer to the complete Theory of Everything. The problem, though, is that it predicts a different magnitude for frame dragging. “By measuring frame dragging very precisely, we have been able to put limits on what is predicted by Chern-Simons theory,” Ciufolini said. His measurement does not rule it out, but severely narrows its scope, eliminating a large range of its potential variations.
But there are other implications of Ciufolini’s study that are more down to Earth—quite literally. By pinpointing and filtering out the gravitational distortion of the K1 tide from the satellites’ tracking data, the experiment also yielded a much more precise measurement of the tide’s actual strength, a bonus finding that could provide new insights for earth science. “My Chinese colleagues tell me that if we improve the knowledge of tides, we can indirectly improve the study of earthquakes,” Ciufolini said. And he expects the experiment to keep on giving.
“These laser-ranged satellites have a peculiar characteristic: They last for hundreds of years,” Ciufolini said. “The more you wait, the more data you accumulate, and the better the results of frame dragging measurements will be. So, we can wait maybe 100 years, and they’ll become even more useful for theoretical physics.”
Nature, 2026. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-10715-0
