Prospero: Britain's Black Arrow Satellite Launched in 1971
Prospero became the only satellite launched on a British-built Black Arrow rocket, departing from Australia's Woomera Range Complex.
FlyMarshall Newsroom1 min read
Photo: Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Prospero, also designated X-3, launched on October 28, 1971, from the Woomera Range Complex in Australia. The mission tested how the space environment affected communications satellites and assessed systems including solar cells and telemetry.
Key details
- Prospero entered an elliptical orbit with reported altitudes of about 522 to 1,300 km.
- The launch marked the fourth and final flight of the Black Arrow program.
- Regular communications with Prospero ended in 1973. The satellite remains in orbit.
- Skyrora announced a plan in 2021 to rendezvous with Prospero and deorbit it using a space tug.
Prospero was the only satellite launched using a British-built Black Arrow rocket.
Why it matters
Prospero paired a British-built launch vehicle with a British satellite, while its mission tested technologies used in communications satellites. Its launch also marked the final flight of the Black Arrow program.
What happens next
Skyrora’s proposed rendezvous and deorbit plan put Prospero’s long-running mission in view for future space activity. What part of Britain’s space history would you most like to see revisited?
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