{
  "id": "skynet-5",
  "name": "Skynet 5",
  "aliases": [],
  "domain": "space",
  "country": "GBR",
  "category": "Military communications satellites",
  "status": "in-service",
  "fielded": null,
  "operators": [
    "GBR"
  ],
  "summary": "UK Ministry of Defence military communications satellites; Skynet 6A is the gap-filler successor.",
  "specs": [
    {
      "k": "orbit_regime",
      "v": "GEO",
      "src": [
        "gsp-skynet-5"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "sats_count",
      "v": 4,
      "src": [
        "gsp-skynet-5"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "note": "5A (2007) to 5D (2012)"
    },
    {
      "k": "mass_kg",
      "v": 4700,
      "src": [
        "gsp-skynet-5"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "note": "Skynet 5A"
    },
    {
      "k": "first_launch",
      "v": 2007,
      "src": [
        "gsp-skynet-5"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "on_orbit",
      "v": 4,
      "src": [
        "celestrak-gp"
      ],
      "conf": "high",
      "note": "Payloads with current element sets in the public catalog, active or not."
    },
    {
      "k": "active_sats",
      "v": 4,
      "src": [
        "celestrak-gp"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "note": "Count in the CelesTrak active satellites list, which estimates operational status."
    },
    {
      "k": "perigee_km",
      "v": [
        35769,
        35771
      ],
      "src": [
        "celestrak-gp"
      ],
      "conf": "high",
      "note": "Active satellites per CelesTrak, element epoch about 2026-11-08."
    },
    {
      "k": "apogee_km",
      "v": [
        35802,
        35803
      ],
      "src": [
        "celestrak-gp"
      ],
      "conf": "high",
      "note": "Active satellites per CelesTrak, element epoch about 2026-11-08."
    },
    {
      "k": "period_min",
      "v": 1436.1,
      "src": [
        "celestrak-gp"
      ],
      "conf": "high",
      "note": "Active satellites per CelesTrak, element epoch about 2026-11-08."
    },
    {
      "k": "inclination_deg",
      "v": [
        0.08,
        5.66
      ],
      "src": [
        "celestrak-gp"
      ],
      "conf": "high",
      "note": "Active satellites per CelesTrak, element epoch about 2026-11-08."
    }
  ],
  "payloads": [],
  "variants": [],
  "art": "satellite",
  "image": null,
  "verified": null,
  "changelog": [
    {
      "date": "2026-11-08",
      "change": "Entry created from cited open sources"
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-11-08",
      "change": "Orbital elements from CelesTrak GP data (epoch about 2026-11-08): 4 catalogued, 4 active."
    }
  ],
  "satellites": [
    {
      "name": "SKYNET 5A",
      "norad": 30794,
      "cospar": "2007-007B",
      "perigee_km": 35770,
      "apogee_km": 35802,
      "inclination_deg": 5.66,
      "period_min": 1436.1,
      "epoch": "2026-11-08",
      "active": true,
      "owner": "UK",
      "launch": "2007-03-11"
    },
    {
      "name": "SKYNET 5B",
      "norad": 32294,
      "cospar": "2007-056B",
      "perigee_km": 35771,
      "apogee_km": 35803,
      "inclination_deg": 5.61,
      "period_min": 1436.1,
      "epoch": "2026-11-08",
      "active": true,
      "owner": "UK",
      "launch": "2007-11-14"
    },
    {
      "name": "SKYNET 5C",
      "norad": 33055,
      "cospar": "2008-030A",
      "perigee_km": 35771,
      "apogee_km": 35802,
      "inclination_deg": 4.15,
      "period_min": 1436.1,
      "epoch": "2026-11-08",
      "active": true,
      "owner": "UK",
      "launch": "2008-06-12"
    },
    {
      "name": "SKYNET 5D",
      "norad": 39034,
      "cospar": "2012-075A",
      "perigee_km": 35769,
      "apogee_km": 35803,
      "inclination_deg": 0.08,
      "period_min": 1436.1,
      "epoch": "2026-11-08",
      "active": true,
      "owner": "UK",
      "launch": "2012-12-19"
    }
  ],
  "url": "https://www.defensepedia.com/systems/skynet-5.html",
  "sources": {
    "gsp-skynet-5": {
      "title": "Skynet 5A–5D",
      "publisher": "Gunter's Space Page",
      "url": "https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/skynet-5.htm",
      "published": null,
      "tier": 3,
      "checked": "2026-11-08"
    },
    "celestrak-gp": {
      "title": "NORAD GP element sets (current data)",
      "publisher": "CelesTrak (data from the U.S. Space Force 18th/19th Space Defense Squadron catalog)",
      "url": "https://celestrak.org/NORAD/elements/",
      "published": "2026-11-08",
      "tier": 1,
      "checked": "2026-11-08"
    }
  }
}