United Kingdom Skynet military communications spacecraft fleet.
0 forecast rows linked to this constellation.
| Forecast entry | Year | Satellites | Orbit | Vehicle | Manufacturer | Mission | Launch likelihood |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
14 linked spacecraft shown.
No public forecast rows are currently linked to this constellation.
No public forecast rows are currently linked to this constellation.
| active |
| GEO |
| Mar 11, 2007 |
| Skynet 5B | active | GEO | Nov 14, 2007 |
| Skynet 5C | active | GEO | Jun 12, 2008 |
| Skynet 5D | active | GEO | Dec 19, 2012 |
| Skynet 4A | retired | GEO | Jan 1, 1990 |
| Skynet 4B | retired | GEO | Dec 11, 1988 |
| Skynet 4D | retired | GEO | Jan 10, 1998 |
| Skynet 4F | retired | GEO | Feb 7, 2001 |
| Skynet IA | retired | GEO | Nov 22, 1969 |
| Skynet IB | retired | HEO | Aug 19, 1970 |
| Skynet IIA | retired | LEO | Jan 19, 1974 |
| Skynet IIB | retired | GEO | Nov 23, 1974 |
Speedcast has been awarded a contract extension by Airbus to provide gateway hosting services offering secure access to the Airbus SKYNET military satellite system from the Asia-Pacific region.
Speedcast’s facility serving the SKYNET project is rated Tier 4 by the World Teleport Association.
Airbus celebrated the 50-year anniversary in 2019 of providing global secure military satellite communications to the UK Ministry of Defence and of the first SKYNET satellite.
The SKYNET 5 programme provided the UK Ministry of Defence with military communications services supporting global operations since 2003.
More than 45 small and medium sized enterprises and subcontractors are supporting Airbus on the SKYNET 6A programme.
SKYNET 6A utilizes an Airbus military communications payload that adopts the latest digital processing to provide more capacity and greater versatility than previous SKYNET satellites.
Airbus has more than 400 people working on the SKYNET 6A project at sites in Stevenage, Portsmouth, and Hawthorn.
Airbus was awarded the SKYNET 6A contract in July 2020 to supplement the existing SKYNET 5 fleet and enhance the UK’s military satellite communications capability.
SKYNET 6A will feature proven Airbus electric orbit raising propulsion and electric station keeping systems.
Complete integration of the SKYNET 6A satellite will take place at Airbus facilities in the UK.
Airbus is building the SKYNET 6A satellite and its military communications payload entirely in the UK.
The United Kingdom’s Skynet military broadband satellite fleet was developed under a public-private partnership in which Paradigm Secure Communications, now part of Airbus, built and operates the satellites.
Viasat provided the VISION platform to the UK Ministry of Defence to expand UHF Skynet satellite network capability.
Viasat provided the VISION platform to the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence to expand UHF Skynet satellite network capability.
Airbus provided the Skynet 5 program as a full-service outsource contract that has supported the UK MOD with MILSATCOM services since 2003.
Complete Skynet 6A satellite integration will occur at Airbus facilities in the UK followed by testing at the National Satellite Test Facility in Harwell, Oxfordshire.
Airbus was awarded a more than £500 million contract in July 2020 to design and build Skynet 6A.
The Skynet 6A program achieved its Preliminary Design Review in December 2020.
The Skynet 5 program reduced or removed many technical and service risks for the UK MOD while providing secure MILSATCOM to UK forces.
The Skynet 5 MILSATCOM constellation is nuclear hardened and provides military X-band and UHF satellite communications.