Skynet-1A: The UK’s Oldest Satellite Has Mysteriously Moved and Nobody Knows Exactly Why

Skynet-1A was a notable moment for British forces. Launched within months of the US moon landing, the spacecraft was put above the east coast of Africa with the intention of aiding communications for British forces. The craft didn’t work for long, and a few years later people assumed it may have been pulled east by gravity and shifted to a position over the Indian Ocean. 

Today it sits over the Americas, 36,000km from where it was originally positioned.

Skynet-1A, UK’s oldest satellite, moved

Here’s where things get interesting. The mechanics of its orbit mean that it is virtually impossible that this happened due to drift. Some time in the 1970s, it seems that the craft was commanded to head west and fired the thrusters to do so. 

Space Consultant Dr. Stuart Eves talked to the BBC about the history of the craft and why it is still so important.

“It’s still relevant because whoever did move Skynet-1A did us few favours,” he explained.

“It’s now in what we call a ‘gravity well’ at 105 degrees West longitude, wandering backwards and forwards like a marble at the bottom of a bowl. And unfortunately this brings it close to other satellite traffic on a regular basis.

“Because it’s dead, the risk is it might bump into something, and because it’s ‘our’ satellite we’re still responsible for it.”

There was a gravity well 75 degrees east and Skynet-1A was expected to go here. So how did it end up over the Americas?

Dr. Eves has even spent time trawling through archives and speaking to satellite experts. But there is still no answer to what happened after the craft lost functionality. Though a British project, the craft was built in America and Britain had to lean heavily on the technology across the pond, as well as their infrastructure.

Graham Davison flew Skynet-1A in the early 70s and explained:

“The Americans originally controlled the satellite in orbit. They tested all of our software against theirs, before then eventually handing over control to the RAF,” the engineer told the BBC in an interview.

“In essence, there was dual control, but when or why Skynet-1A might have been handed back to the Americans, which seems likely – I’m afraid I can’t remember.”

A Feasible Answer?

One PhD student from University College London has been spending time looking through the archives and exploring what happened. Rachel Hill thinks that it is possible that a Skynet team moved the satellite:

“A Skynet team from Oakhanger would go to the USAF satellite facility in Sunnyvale (colloquially known as the Blue Cube) and operate Skynet during ‘Oakout’. This was when control was temporarily transferred to the US while Oakhanger was down for essential maintenance. Perhaps the move could have happened then?” 

Skynet should have been put into one of many orbital graveyards or regions where space junk is directed, as it runs no risk of running into the active telecommunications satellites being used today. This wasn’t thought about as much back in the 1970s and space junk was not such a big consideration.

The Ministry of Defence said Skynet-1A was constantly monitored by the UK’s National Space Operations Centre, but some questions still remain. It is likely that the UK Space Agency will need to think about how it can remove Skynet-1A from orbit to stop it causing potential problems in telecommunications.