Zircon UK SIGINT satellite program

So to answer the question posed in the opening video, was Zircon real? although not involved myself, yes it was. Many senior engineers from Chevaline moved seamlessly on to it. At the time we were aware of a significant military satellite project, but knew nothing else, not even a name. Of course that changed after the BBC documentary. On the site where I was working a special design centre was built specifically to house the technical team, and that’s still existent today. This building is a pain because it’s no windows and was (maybe still is) fully EM screened, hence once inside it’s impossible to use a cell phone. I never received a “trusted” description of Zircon’s function(s) hence everything in public domain should be taken as hearsay maybe even dis-information.

As for its cancellation, engineers which we knew were assigned didn’t get freed up for other work and it was just as difficult to find a space to park your car. Make of that what you will, but having lived through a few cancellations, indeed got several Tee shirts, it’s not typical. I’ve read the project adopted a US satellite as an of the shelf replacement so maybe the technical team supported that or maybe some U.K. developed kit went into it…. My speculation.

The name Zircon always seemed a bit flamboyant but after Chevaline it didn’t raise too many eyebrows.
 
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