Portal:Spaceflight/Selected article/Week 43 2007

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The Black Arrow rocket, which launched Prospero X-3.

The Prospero X-3 satellite (designation 05580 / 71093A) is the only satellite to be launched by a British rocket.

X-3 was launched on 28 October 1971 from Launch Area 5B (LA-5B) at Woomera, South Australia on a Black Arrow rocket (pictured), making Britain the sixth nation to place a satellite into orbit using a domestically developed launch vehicle (after the USSR, USA, France, Japan and China).

The satellite contains a single experiment to test solar cells. A tape recorder is also on board, which failed on 24 May 1973 after 730 plays.

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