Britain’s oldest satellite has been mysteriously moved and there is still no explanation, with no clear documentation of who moved it, when it happened or why it was done.
Skynet-1A began its journey in 1969, shortly after the historic moon landing, and was positioned over East Africa to facilitate British military communications.
After its operational shutdown, natural gravitational forces should have steered the satellite eastward toward the Indian Ocean region.
However, the satellite is currently at an altitude of 36,000 kilometers above America, remarkably far from its original location.
Skynet-1A, weighing half a ton, initially served as a military communications relay for British forces and extended its range to Singapore from its position over the east coast of Africa.
Specialists indicate that natural orbital dynamics are unlikely to explain its current position. There is evidence that a deliberate repositioning towards the west took place in the 1970s, although the authority behind this decision remains unknown.
‘Wandering forward and backward’
Dr. Stuart Eves, a space consultant, told BBC News: “It is now in what we call a ‘gravity well’ at 105 degrees west longitude, wandering back and forth like a marble at the bottom of a bowl. And unfortunately this is close. with other satellite traffic on a regular basis.”
“Because it’s dead, there’s a risk of it crashing into something, and because it’s ‘our’ satellite, we’re still responsible for it,” Eves added.
Dr. Eves has not been able to find any information about the final operational phase of Skynet-1A in historical satellite data or in the National Archives. The satellite faces potential encounters with space debris within a 50 km radius up to four times a day, posing a worrying proximity risk.
The origins of Skynet-1A
The origins of Skynet-1A trace back to the United States, where it was produced by the aerospace company Philco Ford, which is no longer operational. The satellite’s journey to space was made possible by a US Air Force Delta rocket.
Dr. Aaron Bateman’s recent research article on the Skynet program highlights: “The first Skynet satellite revolutionized Britain’s telecommunications capability. From a technological perspective, however, Skynet-1A was more American than British since the United States both built and launched it.”
‘Americans originally controlled the satellite in orbit’
Graham Davison, now in his eighties, who piloted Skynet-1A from RAF Oakhanger in Hampshire in the early 1970s, adds further context to this story.
“The Americans originally controlled the satellite in orbit. They tested all our software against theirs, before finally handing over control to the RAF. Essentially there was double control, but when and why Skynet-1A might were returned to the Americans, which seems likely – I’m afraid I can’t remember,” the retired engineer told the BBC.
UCL PhD candidate Rachel Hill noted that temporary US monitoring took place when Oakhanger underwent maintenance closure. She indicated that this period may have coincided with the change in position.
Rachel explained to the BBC: “A Skynet team from Oakhanger would go to the USAF satellite facility in Sunnyvale (popularly known as the Blue Cube) and operate Skynet during ‘Oakout’.
‘Ticking time bomb’
According to official data on Skynet-1A, ultimate control of the satellite remained in US hands after Oakhanger lost its ability to track it in June 1977. This scenario would indicate that the satellite was left in an inappropriate position.
Aerospace engineering professor Moriba Jah of the University of Texas at Austin indicated that the current state of the satellite poses significant dangers. “Pieces of space junk are like ticking time bombs,” Moriba said.
“We need to avoid what I call super-spreader events. When these things explode or something collides with them, they create thousands of pieces of debris that then become a hazard to something else we care about,” Moriba added.