What of Experimental Astrophysics?

Abstract

The study of the motions of satellites and space probes indeed follows the methods of celestial mechanics, and gives us information on the physics of the forces acting on these devices — and as we have shown, not only gravitational forces. However, these artificial celestial bodies do not actually resemble real celestial bodies as far as their own physics is concerned. Now while it is important to know how the external medium acts on heavenly bodies, it remains equally necessary to learn how these bodies react to these outside influences, which condition their very nature. This is a first reason for attempting to ‘produce’, within their natural medium, artificial celestial bodies similar in nature to real objects. Of course these cannot be stars or planets. On the other hand it seems natural to produce artificial comets and artificial meteoroids. Indeed, real comets and meteoroids occur in the immediate vicinity of the earth, and even enter the atmosphere, where they can be destroyed by explosion or volatilization.