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MCLEAN, Va. – A communication satellite operated by a U.S.-based company disintegrated into pieces while in orbit, forcing space agencies to actively track the debris to ensure other operations are not impacted.
Intelsat announced on Monday that its satellite known as Intelsat 33e suffered a significant anomaly, which resulted in the craft’s total loss.
“The satellite experienced an anomaly on October 19, resulting in a loss of power and service to customers,” Intelsat said in a statement. “We are working closely with Boeing, the satellite manufacturer, to address the situation. Based on the information available to us, we believe it is unlikely that the satellite will be recoverable. While we assess our fleet’s capacity and work with third-party providers to mitigate service interruptions, Intelsat representatives are in direct communication with all affected customers.”
The satellite services provider said the satellite supported services for parts of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Indian Ocean.
It remains unknown what caused the failure while the satellite was operating at some 22,236 miles above Earth’s surface.
Intelsat satellite artist animation
(Intelsat / FOX Weather)
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The U.S. Space Force said it was tracking at least 20 pieces of debris following the orbiter’s failure, but none posed “immediate threats” to Earth or operations aboard the International Space Station.
Assessments were said to be underway to determine if future operations in space would be impacted by the debris field.
According to Intelsat, the satellite was designed to have a lifespan of more than 15 years and was powered by two solar panels.
A similar satellite known as Intelsat 29e suffered a similar fate in 2019, with the orbiter experiencing damage that limited its operational lifespan to less than four years.
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The most recent incident comes as Boeing, the world’s largest aerospace company, is still reeling from the failure to transport two astronauts home aboard its Starliner spacecraft from the ISS and numerous issues related to its commercial plane production facilities.
The company recently reported a quarterly loss of $6.2 billion, with most coming from its commercial aviation and space units.
“The trust in our company has eroded. We’re saddled with too much debt. We’ve had serious lapses in our performance across the company, which have disappointed many of our customers,” Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said in prepared remarks.
Intelsat said it has been in contact with the Virginia-based company, but Boeing has not publicly commented on the failure of IS-33e.
“We are coordinating with the satellite manufacturer, Boeing, and government agencies to analyze data and observations,” an Intelsat spokesperson stated.