why not this SR experiment?

I've look at different experiments that are stated as confirmation of
special relativity. These experiments all relate to testing
consequences of Einstein's theory. All of us that have had logic 101
know that confirming a consequence of a hypothesis does not imply
anything about the validity of the hypothesis. So instead of doing
these experiments, why don't scientists directly test whether the
speed of light is independent of the velocity of the light source?

For example, the speed of light is about 3*10**8 meters/second. A
spacecraft orbiting the earth has a speed of about 8000 meters/second
relative to the earth. Can't we simply use this speed difference to
send two signals to a distant electromagnetic sensor (say on the moon
or in a far distant spacecraft) and measure the arrival time of the
two signals? When I looked at numbers for a distance from signal
source to sensor equivalent to the distance to the moon, there would
be a difference in arrival time of the two signals in the tens of
microsecond range which is easily measureable. The time difference in
signals to a spacecraft near Mars would be in the millisecond range.
To avoid problems with synchronizing the start of each signal, there
could be a nearby object which blocks the transmission of each of the
two signals past the object. When the blocking object is removed, the
signals could then travel from the same point in space and time to the
far distance sensor where the arrival times could be measured.

Dave Seppala
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Relevant Pages

  • Re: why not this SR experiment?
    ... send two signals to a distant electromagnetic sensor (say on the moon ... or in a far distant spacecraft) and measure the arrival time of the ... When I looked at numbers for a distance from signal ... close receiver and a distant receiver measuring the delta t of two ...
    (sci.physics.relativity)
  • Re: why not this SR experiment?
    ... special relativity. ... send two signals to a distant electromagnetic sensor (say on the moon ... When I looked at numbers for a distance from signal ... does a *better* job of measuring something than what's already been ...
    (sci.physics.relativity)
  • Re: why not this SR experiment?
    ... special relativity. ... send two signals to a distant electromagnetic sensor (say on the moon ... When I looked at numbers for a distance from signal ... close receiver and a distant receiver measuring the delta t of two ...
    (sci.physics.relativity)
  • Re: why not this SR experiment?
    ... special relativity. ... send two signals to a distant electromagnetic sensor (say on the moon ... When I looked at numbers for a distance from signal ... does a *better* job of measuring something than what's already been ...
    (sci.physics.relativity)
  • Re: why not this SR experiment?
    ... special relativity. ... send two signals to a distant electromagnetic sensor (say on the moon ... When I looked at numbers for a distance from signal ... does a *better* job of measuring something than what's already been ...
    (sci.physics.relativity)
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