Prospero (spacecraft)
Flight spare of the Prospero satellite in the Science Museum, London. | |
| Names | Puck |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Technology |
| Operator | RAE |
| COSPAR ID | 1971-093A |
| SATCAT no. | 5580 |
| Mission duration | 53 years, 7 months and 20 days (in orbit) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | BAC Marconi |
| Launch mass | 66 kilograms (146 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 28 October 1971 04:09 GMT |
| Rocket | Black Arrow R3 |
| Launch site | Woomera LA-5B |
| End of mission | |
| Disposal | Deorbit |
| Decay date | 2070 (planned) |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Semi-major axis | 7,295.54 kilometres (4,533.24 mi) |
| Eccentricity | 0.053451 |
| Perigee altitude | 534 kilometres (332 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 1,314 kilometres (816 mi) |
| Inclination | 82.04 degrees |
| Period | 103.36 minutes |
| Epoch | 24 January 2015, 04:50:31 UTC |
The Prospero satellite, also known as the X-3, was launched by the United Kingdom in 1971. It was designed to undertake a series of experiments to study the effects of the space environment on communications satellites and remained operational until 1973, after which it was contacted annually for over 25 years. Although Prospero was the first British satellite to have been launched successfully by a British rocket, Black Arrow, the first British satellite placed in orbit was Ariel 1, launched in April 1962 on a US rocket.