A Boeing-made satellite exploded in space, creating further fodder to the crisis-hit aerospace company. After confirming the satellite incident over the weekend, Intelsat has now said it believes IS-33e is a “total loss”.
On Saturday an “anomaly” caused it to unexpectedly break apart, a statement from Intelsat said, bringing a halt to communications.
The Intelsat IS-33e satellite’s approximately 20 pieces of debris from the craft now in orbit is being tracked by the U.S. Space Force.
Intelsat’s customers who relied on the satellite’s services were being transferred to other assets or satellites operated by third parties. Officials stated that they had “observed no immediate threats” but were continuing to monitor the situation.
The IS-33e satellite, which is owned and operated by Intelsat, was kept in geostationary orbit to provide telecoms, broadcasting and other services to customers back on Earth.
The company added, “We are coordinating with the satellite manufacturer, Boeing, and government agencies to analyze data and observations.
“A failure review board has been convened to complete a comprehensive analysis of the cause of the anomaly.”
The situation brings further light to the company that is currently struggling with other major issues included the stranding of NASA’s astronauts after malfunctions on Starliner spacecraft, and a major safety failure on a 737 Max 9 passenger plane.