Boeing-Made Intelsat 33E Satellite Explodes in Geostationary Orbit – Dozens of Pieces of Debris Are Now a Hazard for Satellites and Spacecrafts
The year continues to prove horrendous for giant aerospace company Boeing.
After countless problems with airplanes and a high-profile Starliner fiasco that left two astronauts stranded in the International Space Station, one of their satellites has exploded.
The U.S. Space Force is at this point tracking debris in space after the Intelsat satellite – manufactured by Boeing – exploded a few days ago.
CBS News reported:
“The Intelsat 33e satellite, which was launched in 2016 and provides communications across Europe, Asia and Africa, experienced “an anomaly” on Saturday, Intelsat said in a news release. Attempts were made to work with Boeing and repair the satellite, but on Monday, the U.S. Space Force confirmed that the satellite had exploded.”
The satellite’s explosion left customers without power or communications services.
“Since the breakup, the U.S. Space Force is now tracking ‘around 20 associated pieces’ of the satellite in space. The agency said that there are ‘no immediate threats’ and routine assessments to ensure safety are ongoing.
Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, said it had recorded ‘more than 80 fragments’ of the destroyed satellite. Analysis of the pieces’ trajectory determined that the destruction of the satellite was ‘instantaneous and high-energy’, Roscosmos said.”
This couldn’t come at a worse moment, as the company under a big microscope for its seemingly faulty manufacturing processes.
Boeing planes made headlines all year – for the wrong reasons. They had whistleblower complaints, federal investigations and a major space fiasco.
The company has had a third-quarter loss of more than $6 billion. 10% of the company’s workforce is to be cut.
Tens of thousands of manufacturing employees are currently on strike.
Fortune reported:
“Intelsat, the owner of the satellite, is reporting “the total loss” of the device in an update on its Website. The company is working with Boeing and government agencies to determine the cause of the mishap. The company initially reported the satellite service outage on Oct. 19, which impacted communications services for customers in Europe, Africa and parts of the Asia-Pacific region.”
The U.S. Space Force says it is tracking 20 pieces of debris, but others – besides the Russian space agency – report a greater number.
“Other observers, though, have seen higher amounts of debris. ExoAnalytic Solutions told SpaceNews it was tracking 57 pieces of debris and was warning operators of spacecraft that could be at risk of collision.
[…] This isn’t the first Boeing satellite that has been declared a total loss at Intelsat. In 2019, the company lost a unit after three years due to what was either a meteoroid or a wiring flaw.”
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