Portal:Spaceflight/Selected article/Week 9 2009

Skynet is a family of military satellites, now operated by Paradigm Secure Communications on behalf of the British Ministry of Defence, which provide strategic communication services to the three branches of the British Armed Forces and to NATO forces engaged on coalition tasks. The first was launched in November 1969 (pictured), but failed after less than a year of operation.

Two Skynet 1 satellites were launched on Delta M rockets in 1969 and 1970, followed by two Skynet 2 spacecraft in 1974 on Delta 2000s. Six Skynet 4 spacecraft were launched between 1988 and 2001, using a Titan 34D, a Delta II and four Ariane 4s. The most recently launched Skynet satellites have been the Skynet 5 series, three of which were launched between March 2007 and June 2008, using Ariane 5 rockets. (more...)