Testing General Relativity With Satellite Laser Ranging: Recent Developments, invited paper at 34th COSPAR Scientific Assembly

In this paper the most recent developments in testing General Relativity in the gravitational field of the Earth with the technique of Satellite Laser Ranging are presented. In particular, we concentrate our attention on some gravitoelectric and gravitomagnetic post–Newtonian orbital effects on the motion of a test body in the external field of a central mass. Following the approach of the combined residuals of the orbital elements of some existing or proposed LAGEOS–type satellites, it would be possible to measure the gravitoelectric perigee advance with a relative accuracy of the order of 10−3 and improve the accuracy of the LARES mission, aimed to the measurement of the gravitomagnetic Lense–Thirring effect, to 1 % or better