Family-level launch record combining canonical variants, historical missions, public cadence forecasts, and available payload performance specs.
Historical missions are grouped by actual launch year. Forecast cadence uses family-level launch-rate rows.
| Year | Historical missions | Forecast launches |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1 | 0 |
| 1971 | 1 | 0 |
Payload capacity by variant and target orbit when structured capacity rows are available.
| Variant | Orbit | Capacity | Altitude | Inclination | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No performance specsNo structured payload capacity rows are linked to this vehicle family. | |||||
Latest launched missions using variants in this family.
| Mission | Variant | Launch |
|---|---|---|
| X-3 | Black Arrow | Oct 28, 1971 |
| Launch 1970-F07 | Black Arrow | Sep 2, 1970 |
Upcoming mission rows with announced launch timing.
| Mission | Variant | Announced |
|---|---|---|
No forecasted missionsNo upcoming announced mission rows are linked to this vehicle family. | ||
Canonical variants rolled up into this launch vehicle family.
| Variant | Stages | Missions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
Black Arrow | Not stated | 2 | Retired |
The Black Arrow rocket was the first British satellite to be launched by a British launcher.
The satellite Prospero was placed into orbit by the Black Arrow R3 launch.
Black Arrow had a third stage with a Waxwing solid rocket that produced 6,130 pounds-force (27.3 kilonewtons) vacuum thrust.
R3, the last Black Arrow rocket, was successfully launched on October 28, 1971.
The second stage of Black Arrow utilized a Gamma 2 engine that generated 15,340 pounds-force (68.3 kilonewtons) of thrust.
The Black Arrow launch vehicle was developed using components from Black Knight.
Black Arrow was the last rocket developed by Saunders-Roe.
The first stage of Black Arrow used a Gamma 8 engine producing 50,000 pounds-force (222.5 kilonewtons) of thrust.
Saunders-Roe served as the prime contractor for the Black Arrow orbital launch vehicle.
Black Arrow launched its satellite from the Woomera range in Australia on 1971-10-28.
Black Arrow was the British-made rocket tested at High Down that successfully delivered a satellite into Earth orbit on 1971-10-28.
Australia has not hosted an orbital launch since 1971 when the U.K.’s Black Arrow rocket lifted off from Woomera on its first and only successful satellite launch.
Skyrora’s vehicle design uses the same kerosene and hydrogen peroxide propellants as Black Arrow and plans tests at some of the same locations used in Black Arrow’s development.
The 1971-10-28 Black Arrow launch was the first time a British-built rocket placed a satellite into orbit.
The 1971-10-28 Black Arrow launch was the last time a British-built rocket placed a satellite into orbit.
The British government canceled the Black Arrow program three months before the 1971-10-28 launch but allowed the final launch to proceed because the rocket had already been shipped to Australia.