Black Arrow

In-active

Royal Aircraft Establishment ()

June 27, 1969

Description

Black Arrow was a British satellite carrier rocket. Developed during the 1960s, it was used for four launches between 1969 and 1971. Its final flight was the first and only successful orbital launch to be conducted by the United Kingdom, and placed the Prospero satellite into low Earth orbit.

Specifications
  • Stages
    3
  • Length
    13.0 m
  • Diameter
    2.0 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    2.0 m
  • Launch Mass
    18.0 T
  • Thrust
    256.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    Black Arrow
  • Family
  • Variant
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Black Arrow
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
  • Low Earth Orbit
    135.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity

Royal Aircraft Establishment

Government
None
1904

The Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) was a British research establishment, known by several different names during its history, that eventually came under the aegis of the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), before finally losing its identity in mergers with other institutions.

Black Arrow | Prospero

Royal Aircraft Establishment | United Kingdom
RAAF Woomera Range Complex
Oct. 28, 1971, 4:09 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

British scientific satellite used to demonstrate technologies needed for communication satellites.

Low Earth Orbit
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Black Arrow | X-2

Royal Aircraft Establishment | United Kingdom
RAAF Woomera Range Complex
Sept. 2, 1970, 12:34 a.m.
Status: Launch Failure
Mission:

Uninstrumented spherical satellite meant to enable atmospheric density measurements by observing its orbital decay. It was destroyed in the failure of the first Black Arrow orbital launch failure.

Low Earth Orbit
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Long March 3
Success
18 hours, 25 minutes ago
TJSW-21
Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) - Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Chinese classified satellite claimed to be for communication technology test purposes. Actual mission not known.


Falcon 9
Success
1 day, 1 hour ago
Starlink Group 6-78
Launch Complex 39A - Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Electron
Success
1 day, 16 hours ago
Follow My Speed (BlackSky Gen-3 3?)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A - Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

Note: Payload and customer identities unconfirmed, identification based on mission patch and rocket drop zones analysis. 3rd of the BlackSky Gen-3…


Long March 2
Success
3 days, 1 hour ago
Shijian 30 A-C
Launch Area 4 (SLS-2 / 603) - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

3 Chinese satellites described as for “Space Environment Measurements” purposes. Actual usage not known.


Falcon 9
Success
3 days, 5 hours ago
Starlink Group 6-94
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.