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By Iben
Published on August 27, 2005 By Iben In Blogging
A space station is orbiting Mars,
We will call it Mars station.
A space station is orbiting earth,
We will call it NASA1.
A rocket with crew is docked at NASA1,
We will call it Mars Express.
Mars station, NASA1, and Mars Express each have their own clock.
All three clocks are synchronized.
For this exercise we will say it takes 45 minutes
For a radio signal to travel from Mars station to NASA1.
At 4:15 AM a radio signal is sent from Mars station to NASA1,
and Mars Express blasts off at a high velocity
from NASA1 on a direct course for Mars station.
The signal from Mars station travels at the speed of light,
So according to theory, the velocity of Mars Express and the velocity of the signal
From Mars station can not be added together.
Therefore Mars Express will receive the signal from Mars station at 5:00 AM
Mars Express time.

Question 1.
If Mars Express was traveling at the speed of light,
when it left NASA1 Would Mars Express reach Mars station and
receive the signal from Mars station at 5:00 AM Mars Express time?

Question 2.
When the radio signal from Mars station reaches NASA1,
NASA1 and Mars Express are not in the same location,
Therefore the signal could not possibly reach NASA1 and
Mars Express at the same time.
Which one receives the signal first?
Mars Express or NASA1?

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