Intelsat’s 33e GEO satellite breaks up in orbit The satellite failed with the same model as the 29e that failed in 2019

Over the weekend, the satellite company announced a disruption of service on the Intelsat 33e satellite, affecting customers in Europe, Africa and parts of the Asia-Pacific region. “The satellite experienced an anomaly on October 19, resulting in a loss of power and customer service,” Intelsat said. “We are working closely with Boeing, the satellite manufacturer, to address the situation.”

The company added: “Based on the information available, we believe it is unlikely that the satellite can be recovered.”

Intelsat has lost one of its geostationary satellites after it apparently broke up in orbit

The issue is likely not just a service disruption, as the US Space Force (S4S) has confirmed the failure of Intelsat 33e. S4S is currently monitoring approximately 20 pieces of debris associated with the satellite after it disintegrated on October 19, around 0430 UTC.

“S4S has observed no immediate threats and continues to conduct routine assessments to support the safety and sustainability of the space domain,” the Space Force said. It is unclear whether 33e was secured.

The 6.6-ton high-performance satellite 33e, located at 60 degrees east, was designed and manufactured by Boeing Space Systems. The satellite, which replaced Intelsat 904, had a mixed payload in C-band, Ku-band and Ka-band.

It was launched in August 2016 and entered service in January 2017. The satellite was initially slow to enter service after problems with its thrusters were discovered.

In April 2019, Intelsat 29e, another satellite using the same Boeing 702MP platform as 33e, was lost from service after three years due to a fuel leak. Intelsat has at least four other satellites in orbit based on the 702MP platform: Intelsat 21, 22, 27, and 35e.

In other recent space news:

— Intelsat announced a new satellite data services platform for cellular telephony, located at the Open Access Data Center (WIOCC) in Lagos, Nigeria. — The ViaSat-3 F1 satellite, which had problems with its reflector, is now in service with the U.S. Marine Corps.

– Eutelsat successfully launched 20 OneWeb satellites aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. — Marella Cruises, TUI UK&I’s cruise line, will equip its fleet with OneWeb connectivity in partnership with Speedcast.

— The Maine Connectivity Authority is looking to use Starlink to provide greater connectivity across the state. — United Airlines is adopting Starlink on its more than 1,000 aircraft.

— AST SpaceMobile has successfully launched its first five satellites for direct-to-device production. –Chinese operator LEO GalaxySpace has signed an agreement with Hong Kong operator PCCW Global to integrate its services into the PCCW network.

— EchoStar Mobile has partnered with narrowband connectivity company Connected for off-grid connectivity, and Connected will use EchoStar XXI’s capabilities to provide IoT services. — Constellation Technologies & Operations has successfully raised €9.3 million ($10.08 million) as part of its initial round of funding. The company aims to deploy a fleet of 5G LEO satellites to serve telecom operators. The first two satellite prototypes are scheduled to launch next year.

— Stellar Telecommunications has completed a €9.3 million ($10.08 million) funding round. The company offers satellite connectivity to mobility customers, such as the automotive industry.

– Skynopy is working with small satellite connectivity operator Kinéis to explore ways to repurpose the latter’s more than 20 teleportation sites. — Leaf Space is installing an Odysseus Space optical ground station at a site in Montsec, Catalonia, Spain.

— OneWeb is reportedly exploring the possibility of locating a ground station in Johannesburg, South Africa. — French startup Volta Space Technologies has revealed plans to develop a network of satellites around the Moon to power spacecraft on the lunar surface.

Post source : datacenterdynamics

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