The paper that gave ATV-4 its name

A scientist that needs no introduction: here is the first page of the manuscript “Grundlagen der allgemeinen Relativitätstheorie” or “The foundation of the general theory of relativity.” This is the paper that changed our view of Newton’s theory of gravity that had been accepted for 250 years.

Credits: Albert Einstein Archives, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

The paper predicted that light beams would bend around massive objects. The paper was published in 1915 but the hypothesis was not proven until 1919 when British astronomer Arthur Eddington travelled to an island off the coast of Africa to observe light from stars during a solar eclipse. Light beams from distant stars were indeed observed bending as they passed our Sun and this was considered conclusive proof that the theory was valid.

Ninety-eight years after the publication of the theory of relativity, ESA’s ATV-4 will be launched from Kourou, French Guiana, bearing the name of its author: Albert Einstein.