RICHARD FARRIMOND (1947 - 2026)

Full Name:

Richard Alfred FARRIMOND.

Rank:

Lieutenant-Colonel, Royal Corps of Signals (Deceased).

Born:

15 September 1947, in Birkenhead, Cheshire, England (British).

Died:

26 February 2026, at home, aged 78.

Education:

1961-63: Studied science (maths and physics) at Clifton College, Bristol, England.

1963-66: Attended Welbeck College on an army scholarship.

1972: BSc degree in Telecommunications from the Royal Military College of Science (RMCS), Shrivenham, Oxfordshire, England.

2012: MA in World History and Cultures, King's College, London.

2021: PhD in History, King's College, London; (1 Dec) thesis completed.

Career Highlights:

1966-67: Officer cadet training course (44 weeks, three terms) at Sandhurst Military College; (1967) commissioned into the Royal Corps of Signals.

1967-68: Completed a communications qualifications course at the School of Signals, Blandford, Dorset.

1968: Assigned to the 4th Division Headquarters and Signal Regiment, West Germany.

1968-69: Studied first year course in engineering at King's College, Cambridge.

1969-70: Served with the 3rd Division Headquarters and Signals Regiment, Bulford, including a detachment with the 39th Infantry Brigade Headquarters and Signals Squadron in Northern Ireland.

1970-72: BSc student, RMCS Shrivenham, studying advanced engineering principles connected to defence technologies, in particular electronic warfare. He specialised in signals and communications systems. (1972) graduated with honours and a 2nd Class Div 1 degree in Telecoms Engineering.

1972-73: Assigned to 21st Signal Regiment, West Germany.

1974-76: Served as Adjutant with the 7th Signal Regiment, British Army of the Rhine (BAOR), West Germany.

1976-78: Completed a two-year exchange appointment with the Canadian Signal Regiment, Ontario.

1978-79: Returned to the UK and continued his academic studies at RMCS Shrivenham and at the Army Staff College, Camberley.

1980-81: Staff appointment in the Military Communications Projects Division of the UK Ministry of Defence, Procurement Executive.

1982-84: Commander, 8th Infantry Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron, Londonderry, Northern Ireland.

UK SKYNET ASTRONAUT ASSIGNMENTS

Jul 1984:

Named as the Army's replacement UK Skynet Payload Specialist instead of Lt.-Col. Anthony Boyle RCS. As the former CO of the 9th Signal Regiment, Cyprus, Boyle had been recalled from the Skynet astronaut team to participate in the investigation of a suspected Soviet spy-ring infiltration of that regiment.

1984-86:

NASA Space Shuttle Payload Specialist (PS) training as a member of the UK Skynet astronaut team.

25 Apr 1985-1986:

Shuttle PS training; named as BUp PS (to Nigel Wood, RAF) for STS-61H, scheduled for a June 1986 launch; NASA PS mission training.

Early 1986:

NASA PS mission training; following the loss of Challenger and her crew of seven [28 Jan], all manifested crewed Shuttle flights were grounded [10 Feb]. As a result, the Skynet team was disbanded and its members, including Farrimond, returned to their services and were reassigned to other duties without maikng a space flight. The Challenger tragedy led to the Skynet 4A payload being remanifested for a commercial launch on a Titan III in 1990.

1986-90:

Returned to his duties in the Royal Corps of Signals, including comand of an independent squadron in Londonderry, Northern Ireland and an army regiment in Germany.

1990:

Retired from the British Army with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, Royal Corps of Signals.

POST-SKYNET EXPERIENCE

1990-2010:

Employed in the UK space industry sector, initially as the General Manager, BAe Space Systems in Bristol, where he contributed to ongoing aspects of the post-Shuttle Skynet military communications satellite programme.

In 1994, BAe Space Systems was acquired by Matra Marconi Space. Farrimond was employed by Matra Marconi Space UK Ltd in Bristol, focusing on defence and security programmes using satellite communications and signals technology.

In 2000, Matra Marconi merged with the space division of Daimler-Chrysler Aerospace AG (DASA) to form Astrium in June 2003. The company became EADS Astrium. Farrimond continued his employment with EADS Astrium [subsequently Airbus Defence and Space], serving as the UK military marketing manager until his retirement.

Mar 2010:

Retired from the UK space industry.

Feb 2010-2023:

Self-employed management consultant for Bonnymead Ltd, serving as its director based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, until the company was wound up in 2023.

2010-26:

Concurrent with his consultancy work, Farrimond pursued advanced academic studies; (2012) MA in World History and Cultures, focusing on the politics of Britain and human space flight; (2013) his dissertation "Britain and Human Spaceflight" was published by the British Interplanetary Society, London.

Following his doctorate in 2021, his research was used as the basis for the award-winning biography Birdie: More Than "Soul of Anzac" - Field Marshal Lord Birdwood of Anzac and Totnes, 1865-1951 (Helion & Co, 2023), winner of the 2023 Chapple Prize for debut contributors for British Army History.

26 Feb 2026:

Died at home, aged 78. Farrimond never flew in space.