# Prospero

> British Satellite

**Wikidata**: [Q282184](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q282184)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prospero_(spacecraft))  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/prospero

## Summary
Prospero is a British research satellite (also classed as an artificial satellite of the Earth) launched on 28 October 1971. It was operated by the Royal Aircraft Establishment and launched from Woomera Village on a Black Arrow launch vehicle; it is also known by the alias X-3.

## Key Facts
- Prospero is an artificial satellite of the Earth and is classed as a research satellite.  
- Country: United Kingdom.  
- Operator: Royal Aircraft Establishment.  
- Launch date: 1971-10-28.  
- Launch site / start point: Woomera Village.  
- Launch vehicle: Black Arrow.  
- COSPAR ID: 1971-093A.  
- SCN (satellite catalog number): 05580.  
- Alias: X-3.  
- Freebase ID: /m/02nl7w.  
- Wikimedia Commons image: Prospero_X-3_model_2012.JPG.  
- Wikipedia article title: Prospero (spacecraft).  
- Encyclopædia Britannica Online ID: topic/Prospero-satellite.  
- Encyclopedia of China (third edition) ID: 401515.

## FAQs
### Q: What is Prospero?
A: Prospero is a British research satellite (an artificial satellite of the Earth) launched on 28 October 1971 and operated by the Royal Aircraft Establishment.

### Q: When and where was Prospero launched?
A: Prospero was launched on 1971-10-28 from Woomera Village.

### Q: What launch vehicle carried Prospero?
A: Prospero was launched on the Black Arrow launch vehicle.

### Q: What are Prospero's identifying numbers?
A: Prospero's COSPAR ID is 1971-093A and its satellite catalog number (SCN) is 05580.

## Why It Matters
Prospero is a documented British research satellite with clear operational and identifying records. As a research-class artificial satellite launched in 1971, it represents a concrete example of United Kingdom space activity and scientific spacecraft deployment. The launch from Woomera Village on a Black Arrow vehicle and operation by the Royal Aircraft Establishment are specific program-level details that link Prospero to national launch and engineering efforts. Its persistent identifiers — COSPAR ID 1971-093A and SCN 05580 — make it traceable in international satellite catalogs and reference works (including entries in Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, Encyclopædia Britannica Online, and the Encyclopedia of China), supporting research, historical recordkeeping, and cataloging of Earth-orbiting research satellites.

## Notable For
- Being a British research satellite operated by the Royal Aircraft Establishment.  
- Launched on 28 October 1971 from Woomera Village.  
- Launched by the Black Arrow launch vehicle.  
- Known by the alternate designation X-3 and cataloged as COSPAR 1971-093A / SCN 05580.  
- Documented across multiple reference works (Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, Encyclopædia Britannica Online, Encyclopedia of China).

## Body

### Overview
- Name: Prospero (also referred to as X-3).  
- Classifications: research satellite; artificial satellite of the Earth.  
- Country of origin: United Kingdom.  
- Operator: Royal Aircraft Establishment.

### Launch and mission start
- Launch date: 1971-10-28.  
- Launch site / start point: Woomera Village.  
- Launch vehicle: Black Arrow.  
- Significant event recorded: rocket launch at Woomera Village on 1971-10-28.

### Identifiers and cataloging
- COSPAR ID: 1971-093A.  
- Satellite catalog number (SCN): 05580.  
- Freebase ID: /m/02nl7w.  
- Wikipedia title: Prospero (spacecraft).  
- Commons category: Prospero (satellite).  
- Encyclopædia Britannica Online ID: topic/Prospero-satellite.  
- Encyclopedia of China (third edition) ID: 401515.

### Documentation and references
- Image available on Wikimedia Commons: Prospero_X-3_model_2012.JPG.  
- Multiple language Wikipedia entries and related sitelinks exist (sitelink_count: 19; languages listed include ar, be, bg, cs, cy, de, en, es, eu and others).  

### Related classes and programs
- Instance of: research satellite and artificial satellite of the Earth.  
- Related launch vehicle class: Black Arrow (British satellite carrier rocket developed during the 1960s).

## References

1. Jonathan's Space Report
2. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013