Tech Desk 
Nov 16, 2024
The UK’s oldest operational satellite, Prospero, launched in 1971, has surprised experts by unexpectedly shifting its orbit. Initially designed to study the effects of space environments on communication equipment, the satellite has remained inactive for decades but continues to intrigue researchers with its resilience and now, its unanticipated orbital movement.
It was placed in the geostationary orbit, which is above eastern Africa, to support the British military communication system. After the end of its mission to drift to the Indian Ocean side. However, in the 1970s deliberately it was moved towards the orbit over America, where it remains today 36,000 km above the Earth’s surface.
Read more: Lunar soil bricks: China's innovative solution for Moon base construction
Experts theorise that someone must have used Skynet-1A thrusters, which caused it to change its position, but the one responsible for this change in position remains a mystery. Despite the investigation of the matter, experts lack to provide information about who is responsible or why it was moved from its position.
Skynet-1A is inhabited at a longitude of 105 degrees west in a “gravity well”, where its unpredictable movements raise concerns of it potentially colliding with other satellites and also serve as a reminder of space debris becoming increasingly congested.
A space consultant, Dr. Stuart Eves, pointed out that unexpected positioning increases the risks of collision. The Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom continues to monitor the satellite's movements and alert the operators of potential close encounters.
