Royal Aircraft EstablishmentBlack ArrowLaunch Area 5B, RAAF Woomera Range Complex
Prospero
Launched
October 28, 1971
Image: artq55
Summary
Prospero launched on a Royal Aircraft Establishment Black Arrow from Launch Area 5B, RAAF Woomera Range Complex on October 28, 1971. It was Royal Aircraft Establishment's 2nd launch, 1st this year and humanity's 1,275th orbital launch attempt. It was the 2nd Black Arrow flight and the 1st this year. The payload was bound for low Earth orbit (LEO). Prospero, one of 3 catalogued objects, reached a 555 × 1,589 km orbit inclined 82.1°. 3 objects from this launch are catalogued, one of them a payload.
- Watch
- No webcast on record.
- Vehicle
- Black Arrow · Royal Aircraft Establishment
- Booster
- No booster details on record.
- Mission
- Test Flight · Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Milestone
- 2nd Black Arrow flight · 1st this yearRoyal Aircraft Establishment's 2nd launch1st this yearhumanity's 1,275th orbital launch attempt104th orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Orbit: as tracked
Prospero · NORAD 5580 · 1971-093 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 3 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- PROSPERO (BLACK ARROW)
- Object ID
- 1971-093A
- Epoch
- 1971-10-28 04:23:40 UTC
- Mean motion
- 13.5203743 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.0694458
- Inclination
- 82.0541°
- Ascending node
- 240.8432°
- Arg. of perigee
- 338.5083°
- Mean anomaly
- 18.811°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 1
- B*
- 0
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: LEO. Ascent drawn from padside's representative profile.
Catalogued objects
3 catalogued: 1 payload, 1 rocket stage, 1 component; 2 still in orbit
- Prospero · NORAD 5580 · in orbit
Waxwing R-3 · in orbit
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
British scientific satellite used to demonstrate technologies needed for communication satellites.
Pad
Launch Area 5B, RAAF Woomera Range Complex
2nd launch from Launch Area 5B, 1st this year · 6th from RAAF Woomera Range Complex
2 launches from this pad · 6 from RAAF Woomera Range Complex
421 days after the previous launch from this pad
Questions
When did Prospero launch?
Prospero launched on October 28, 1971. The time is known to the hour, not the minute.
Where can I watch Prospero?
No webcast is on record for this launch.
What rocket launched Prospero?
Black Arrow, flown by Royal Aircraft Establishment. Black Arrow spec sheet
Where did Prospero launch from?
Launch Area 5B, RAAF Woomera Range Complex.
What orbit did Prospero reach?
Prospero, one of 3 catalogued objects, reached a 555 × 1,589 km orbit inclined 82.1°.
How many satellites did Prospero launch?
1 payload from this launch is catalogued, still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).