Skynet-1A: Why did the UK's oldest space satellite end up thousands of miles from where it should have been?
www.bbc.com
Britain's oldest satellite is in the wrong part of the sky, but no-one's really sure who moved it.

Summary

The UK’s oldest satellite, Skynet-1A, launched in 1969, has mysteriously shifted from its original orbit over Africa to a high-risk position over the Americas.

It’s suspected that in the 1970s, Skynet-1A was intentionally moved west, possibly by U.S. controllers, but records confirming who made this decision and why are missing.

Now inactive, the satellite poses collision risks to active satellites, as it occupies a congested orbit at 105 degrees West longitude.

The UK may eventually need to consider relocating Skynet-1A or removing it altogether to mitigate risks from space debris.

  • Flying SquidMEnglish
    80•4 days ago

    BECAUSE IT WAS BLOCKING MY FUCKING VIEW!

    Christ, I warned them and warned them.

    • Zier
      26•3 days ago

      And now it’s blocking MY view. I’m moving it back! How the hell am I suppose to look at naked men from space with that dinosaur in my way? FFS!

      • @SirQuackTheDuckEnglish
        4•2 days ago

        Hey, I’m the CEO CTO of a Brand New Startup named Crayonz. I can launch a rocket filled with crayons and six highly trained monkey AI models to mask the satellite.

        I just need 1.6 billion BTC for Funding A, but we can make this work! Think of the AI benefits and Space Synergy.

        • Zier
          2•2 days ago

          BTC? or BTU’s? It takes a lot of energy to launch. Actually, wouldn’t all the crayonz melt on the way out? This could end up being a very expensive monkey candle, in space.

          • @SirQuackTheDuckEnglish
            3•2 days ago

            This could end up being a very expensive monkey candle, in space.

            But imagine the friends we’ll make along the way

      • Flying SquidMEnglish
        9•3 days ago

        Naked men from space? So like hot aliens or…?

          • Flying SquidMEnglish
            10•3 days ago

            In my case, there are always tentacles involved.

            It’s you non-cephalopods that have the weird sex.

            NSFO porn

            And yeah, I do have a big hectocotylus. Thanks for asking.

        • Zier
          3•3 days ago

          No, sorry. Naked Earth men viewed from space satellites.

            • Zier
              4•3 days ago

              Sorry. I find it very interesting. And your damn satellite is STILL IN MY WAY!!! You have until Tuesday or I blow it up!! That’s when Jorio uses his outside shower, and he has been working out. Damnnnnn!

              • @werefreeatlastEnglish
                1•2 days ago

                Shit! I forgot my iPod in the engine bay. Could I have until next week? My spaceship is at the North Pole chasing ruzzians. It’s a mission, what can I say. I’ll be up there Saturday and I’ll get my iPod and get out of your way. I can give the old rust can a kick for good measure. Or heck, I could fill it with random pyrotechnics so we can all enjoy. Like having a view of war but in space… from the ground.

    • Miles O'BrienEnglish
      3•3 days ago

      Never underestimate how far amateur radio telescope operators will go for a clean sky.

      • Flying SquidMEnglish
        1•3 days ago

        Amateur radio astronomy is really cool. I was into optical telescopes for a long time, I used to have a really nice 8" Newtonian. But the radio telescope stuff is so complicated. The people doing it just for fun are so smart. I have a lot of respect for them.

        • Miles O'BrienEnglish
          2•3 days ago

          It’s a wee bit out of my bailiwick, sad to say. Their “hobby smarts” are my “oh my god this is the most concentration I’ve ever had to use to figure something out smarts” although regular astronomy is a hobby I can never get enough of

          All I’ve got for now is a tiny 4in newtonian , and though I do want to upgrade, it’s on the back burner for a few years while all my other expenses are sorted.

          Still orders of magnitude better than the refractor I used to have.

    • PsaldornEnglish
      2•4 days ago

      Deploy the space Rooba!