According to an official update, an 'anomaly' caused the satellite - dubbed IS-33e - to be destroyed, resulting in what the company calls a 'total loss.' Migration and service restoration plans are well underway across the Intelsat fleet and third-party satellites.
While we have yet to find out the exact cause for the breakup, the incident serves as a reminder of the often limited life of satellites, as well as the ever-present threat of existing space debris colliding with our assets in orbit.
The satellite, which weighed 14,600 pounds and was roughly the size of a minivan, was designed and manufactured by Boeing Space Systems and launched in 2016. It provided broadband services, including internet and phone communication services, to parts of Europe, Africa, and most of Asia.
IS-33e was the second satellite to be launched as part of Boeing's 'next generation' EpicNG platform. The first, dubbed IS-29e, failed due to a propulsion system fuel leak. Intelsat declared the satellite a total loss in April 2019.
Collection
[
|
...
]