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Life Sentence Plugging the Hole in Skynet Nature Vol. 251 September 13 1974 95 "TRYING to pour a water-butt through British contractors, Marconi Space and a bootlace" was how one Services Plugging the hole Defence Systems Ltd, were well officer described pre-satellite long­ pleased with how well the spacecraft distance communications for defence: in Skynet had stood up to its very rough passage. That was in 1969 when Britain first from Angela Croome In the last week of August the adopted a satellite-borne defence com­ r-----------------. standby Sky net II was dispat'ched to the munications system-Skynet-for its United States in readiness for launch own exclusive and interference-free use, in November to take over Britain's making Hong Kong and ships at sea overseas defence communications role (in the Gulf of Carpentaria for ex­ for a further three years. The overall ample) as instantly accessible as Alder­ design and engineering concept of Sky­ shot from Whitehall. Although the net II is similar to Skynet I; it may be satellite itself, Skynet I, was built (to a considered a 'stretched' Skynet I. It is tight £6 million contract) by Philco­ about a third larger than its pre­ Ford in America, the hard-headed spe­ decessor, however, and has a consider­ cification was British and the ground­ ably greater communications capacity. based terminals to communicate with The ease, convenience and immediacy it were British-designed and built. The of 'voice-contact-by-satellite' has, not Skynet system must rank as the most surprisingly, proved popular with the enterprising and successful British Ministry of Defence, as transatlantic space venture yet achieved with several businessmen similarly welcomed the world 'firsts' to its credit. It was the coming of Intelsat. first operational defence system to use Demand for faster telecommunica­ a geostationary satellite; and, the 3t­ tions grows with supply. This has be­ foot shipboard terminal, Scot, remains Last January the first of two replace­ come a truism in the world of com­ the smallest and most ingenious 'earth­ ments was launched by Thor-Delta mercial telecommunications. Predic­ station' for satellite communications from Cape Canaveral. It too came to tions of the growth of phone traffic yet developed, and the envy of the US grief so now there is the prospect of and especially overseas phone traffic Navy. the second, Skynet II, phase Qf the are always too low. No doubt the same The original Skynet satellite (Skynet system, also operating with a single can be said of defence communica­ l) has now exceeded its planned opera­ satellite despite 100 % planned re­ tions. It is not difficult to imagine the tional life and is due for replacement. dundancy. On this occasion the second asset that Skynet must have been and To ensure continuous operation in all stage of the launch rocket misfunc­ still is to the British bases in Cyprus circumstances the original satellite, tioned in the sense that the jets of the during the recent emergency. Yet the poised over the Indian Ocean, was motor jammed hard over while firing, future of Skynet is hazy. No decision duplicated. The second could act as causing the vehicle to corkscrew has yet been made on a backup for standby if the first developed faults; wildly and subjecting the satellite to Skynet II, although the end of its otherwise it could provide additional forces greatly exceeding those allowed planned life is not so far off. Defence capacity in an emergency. In the event for in the design specification. The planning-where a new weapons sys­ only one of the Skynet I series ever satellite was 'missing presumed lost' tem for instance takes ten to twenty became operational. In its companion for three days but was then picked up years to develop--has long made non­ the solid fuel packing of the centrally by a United States Air Force tracking sense of five-yearly changes in Gov­ situated apogee motor had an un­ station over the Pacific. It was still ernment. Can anything so fundamental detected crack which caused the motor functional and responding to inter­ to the total defence operation as com­ to .explode on ignition, etfeotively dis­ rogation and commands but in a hope­ munications, be left to the shifts of posing of the satellite at the same time. lessly low orbit. An attempt to 'kick' party politics? While Britain continues Tt seems that the single Skynet I in the satellite out to an orbit clear of the to have overseas defence commit­ orbit managed to sustain its role with­ Earth's atmosphere with the onboard ments, a return to "bootlace" com­ out a standby. apogee motor failed. Nonetheless the munications would be a false economy. 100 million years before becoming • BECAUSE of an error in transmission, Life sentence black dwarf stars. Nature's account of the recent NAS A'I astronomical surprise for dilettantes It is extremely unlikely that these statement on plasmid engineering con­ and professionals alike was provided by stars could develop a solar system jn so tained an inaccuracy which might have Sir Bernard Lovell during a discussion short a time, and in any case that caused a misunderstanding about the at the BA meeting. He delivered a hardly seems long enough to allow for moratorium. Under the heading of severe body blow to the 'popular notion the evolution of an advanced civilisa­ types of research which should be that there may be around 100,000 tcch­ tion. Which is just as well really, be­ halted, we listed "autonomousLy rep­ nolog''',l civilisations in our Galaxy. cause any organic life which might licating bacterial plasmids that might In the past, Sir Bernard said, one evolve would find itself in an extremely result in the introduction of genetic ex,tremely impor,tant factor had been inhospitable environment. determinants for antibiot,ic resistance omitted from the calculations. Nobody Sir Bernard explained that K and M or bacterial toxlin formation into bac­ hai yet taken account of the fact that s·ars have extraordinary flare pro­ ter;al stra,ins that do not presently at least 90 '){, of the 100,000 miliion perties : blasts often last for periods of carry such determinants . ." This stars in the Galaxy are K or M stars, up to several hours, during which the should have read: "Construction of which exhibit characteristics that could normal intensity of emission doubles. pew autonomously replicating bacterial well preclude the development of The radiation effects would of course plasmids . .." etc. We regret any in­ organic life in their vicinity. For a be quite lethal to most complicated life conve'1ience this error might have start, they only exist for about 10 to forms. 0 Qued. 0 © 1974 Nature Publishing Group.
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