Mass and space, acknowledged as the "building blocks and fabric of our universe," are governed by gravity, yet gravity is the least understood of the fundamental forces. Einstein's theory predicts that two effects (gravitomagnetic and geodetic) should contribute to the drift of a perfect gyroscope in a polar orbit around the earth, and The Relativity Mission is to detect and precisely measure these two effects.

According to the project's website, an imperfect sphere will naturally drift due to torque created by an uneven, asymmetrical surface, and since the mid-1960s, researchers have been working to develop a perfectly round sphere. In 1999, four gyroscopes, two made of fused silica and two of single crystal silicon, were completed in anticipation of the 2004 launch.

The experiment, jointly sponsored by NASA and Stanford University, (who work with contractor Lockheed Martin in building the spacecraft) will monitor the tiny changes in the direction of spin of the four gyroscopes (manufactured to be "the world's roundest objects") to determine how space and time are warped by the presence of the Earth, and&emdash;cue the glissando of eerie sci-fi music&emdash;how the Earth's rotation drags space-time around with it.

Bill Long, a resident of Buellton and long-time space buff, has been part of this profound experiment since last July, and after a career teaching elementary school in Solvang, has turned a treasured hobby into a dynamic, post-retirement pastime.

As part of the team readying Gravity Probe B for launch, he spends five days a week at Vandenberg Air Force Base controlling access to the rarefied air environment of the pre-launch high bay.

"I needed something to do," Long laughs. "My expertise is to try to make things easy, to keep things running smoothly. After teaching school for 33 years, I have an ability to get along with all kinds of people."

"I'm an Access Control Monitor," he continues. "I screen individuals who go into the clean room where the launch is being prepared and I keep an eye on temperature, humidity, and the cleanliness of the air. My job is to alert everyone when a hazardous op is going on [such as lifting solar arrays with a crane or pouring liquid hydrogen or nitrogen from one container to another], and notify an 'all clear' when the operation is complete."

It's really interesting," Long says with excitement in his voice. "They mounted one of the solar arrays&emdash;it took all day&emdash;then they disconnected one end from the craft to let it pivot down to make sure it was in the proper direction and cleared everything. Solar panels are rather frail, they're designed to operate in space, so you try to recreate [those conditions]. They attach a helium balloon to it to control its descent."

Long, who has assisted with four other launches at Vandenberg AFB, belongs to the National Space Society, an organization that actively promotes space research.

"We produce a magazine called 'Ad Astra,' which means 'to the stars,'" he says proudly. "The more you can get people aware of space and interested in it, the more excitement it generates."

Though some may question spending nearly three-quarters of a billion dollars on basic scientific research, Long feels strongly that the long-term dividends far outweigh the expense.

"It's not so much about this particular project," he muses, "but about where it's going from here. What will come out of it, we don't know, but it'll be to our benefit. The ability to develop a perfect sphere&emdash;the offshoots are going to be very valuable. Pacemakers came out of space research, and things like Tang and freeze dried food."

"The Global Positioning System they have was off the shelf," he continues, "but it's been modified and now is used to land commercial airplanes without the help of a pilot. Another development was with fiber optics. Now they have an adhesive that can repair broken fiber optics without distorting the light ray. In fact, I think it'll soon be available under a name like 'laser paste' [though] you'd think it'd be something more exotic."

Long takes his work on Gravity Probe B seriously, and though he's well aware of the dangers, he relishes the chance to be part of a crew sailing on the cutting edge of scientific research.

"I'll be proud to say I was a part of it," he says. "I've enjoyed it. I've met some really nice people out there, from all over the world working with these launches, and it's always nice to see something come to a conclusion, especially if it's a success. But anything can go wrong when you're dealing with explosive materials."

As the project nears completion, Bill Long considers his next assignment.

"Next fall it'll be a NOAA, a weather related launch," he says. "I'll be doing the same job, if I feel up to it. That's the nice thing about being retired. I can choose my projects."

Out of retirement and well into building his passion for space into a second career, Long remains sanguine about his future in space-related research. He doesn't worry too much about what the next project might be, for he enjoys a satisfying back-up pastime.

"This is my second hobby," he reveals with a laugh. "My first hobby is building HO gauge trains for my grandson. That keeps me out of the house so I don't bug my wife."

Some laws of physics are immutable, such as the tolerance ratios between wives and their retired husbands, but in the arena of space travel and precision experiments, many questions remain. With the concerted efforts of dedicated people like Bill Long, and a little luck, the Relativity Mission may answer some of the fundamental queries raised by Albert Einstein nearly a century ago.

For a week-by-week analysis of events associated with the mission and more than you'll ever need to know about gyroscopes, relativity, and physics in general, visit the jam-packed Relativity Mission (aka Gravity Probe B) project site at http://einstein.stanford.edu.