A satellite manufactured by Boeing and owned by multinational telecommunications provider Intelsat mysteriously exploded into pieces in geostationary orbit over the weekend.
An Intelsat satellite in Earth orbit
Intelsat confirmed the complete loss of its IS-33e satellite, affecting customers in Europe, Africa and parts of the Asia-Pacific.
Intelsat also said it was taking steps to fully analyze the incident that occurred to the satellite, which was launched in 2016 and was supposed to have a 15-year operational life.
The incident occurred on October 19, in the context of Boeing facing crises on many fronts, from a strike in the production of commercial aircraft to problems with the Starliner spacecraft.
"We are working with satellite manufacturer Boeing and government agencies to analyze data and observations," BBC reported on October 23, citing information from Intelsat.
Boeing has not commented on the satellite explosion.
The US Department of Defense’s space tracking website SpaceTrack also confirmed the incident that occurred in geostationary orbit over the weekend. The US Space Force is tracking about 20 pieces of IS-33e satellite debris.
Meanwhile, the US company ExoAnalytic Solutions said it discovered 57 pieces of debris, according to SpaceNews .
The cause of the IS-33e explosion is still being determined. However, Intesat noted that the satellite used more fuel than expected to maintain orbit.
In another development, two American astronauts have been stuck on the International Space Station (ISS) since June after the Boeing-made Starliner spacecraft developed multiple leaks and had to leave the station without passengers.
The two astronauts will have to wait until next year to return to Earth on a SpaceX spacecraft.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ve-tinh-co-lon-cua-boeing-dot-ngot-no-tung-tren-quy-dao-185241023144720882.htm
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