Britain's oldest satellite moved - by whom, no one knows
Kyiv • UNN
The 1969 British military satellite Skynet-1A suddenly changed its orbit by thousands of kilometers. Scientists cannot explain the reason for the satellite's movement, which now poses a threat to other spacecraft.
Scientists are confused by Skynet-1A's new position, and the likelihood that the satellite moved due to accidental drift is unproven.
UNN writes with reference to the BBC.
A 1960s British military satellite unexpectedly deviated thousands of kilometers from its intended course, leaving scientists scratching their heads over the cause of the anomaly.
According to the BBC, there is no information on who moved the satellite, when, or why. The inactive satellite now poses a threat to other satellites.
HelpHelp
Skynet-1A was built by the American company Philco Ford and launched by the US Air Force's Delta rocket.
In 1969, Sputnik was launched into orbit over the east coast of Africa to transmit encrypted messages. This was important for the British military.
A few years later, Skynet-1A failed. Scientists expected gravity to pull it further east, forcing it to crash into the Indian Ocean. But to everyone's surprise, Skynet-1A is not only still hovering above the planet, at an altitude of 36,000 kilometers.
The object is currently hovering over North and South America. So far, this “surprise” has left scientists and experts bewildered - they are trying their best to understand how and why the satellite changed its trajectory.
Explains Dr. Stuart Eaves, space consultant:
It is currently in what is known as a “gravity field” at 105 degrees west longitude, where it moves back and forth like a ball at the bottom of a bowl. Unfortunately, this regularly brings it into close proximity to other satellites
The UK Ministry of Defense continues to monitor Skynet-1A. It informs other satellite operators about possible collisions.
