TPO - Boeing's Intelsat 33e satellite — a large communications satellite — mysteriously broke apart in orbit, scattering at least 20 pieces of space junk into the sky.
TPO - Boeing's Intelsat 33e satellite — a large communications satellite — mysteriously broke apart in orbit, scattering at least 20 pieces of space junk into the sky.
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The Intelsat 39 satellite was launched from French Guiana on an Ariane 5 rocket in 2019. (Photo: Jody Amiet/AFP) |
The Intelsat 33e satellite, which provides broadband communications services to Europe, Africa and Asia from geostationary orbit over the Indian Ocean, was shut down on October 19 due to an “unusual event” before a “complete loss” was confirmed on October 21, according to Intelsat, the satellite service provider that operates the satellite.
Subsequent observations by the US Space Force confirmed that the satellite had broken into at least 20 pieces, but the service “did not see any immediate threat” from the debris. It remains unclear exactly what caused the satellite’s sudden disintegration.
“We are working with the satellite manufacturer, Boeing, and government agencies to analyze the data and observations,” Intelsat said. “An Incident Review Board has been convened to complete a comprehensive analysis of the cause of the anomaly.”
The satellite, which weighs 6,600 kg and is roughly the size of a limousine, was designed and built by Boeing and launched into orbit in 2016. It is the second satellite to be launched into space as part of Boeing's "next-generation" EpicNG platform. The first satellite, called IS-29e, also failed after years in space, possibly due to a fuel leak caused by a small meteorite impact or a solar storm.
The failure significantly reduced the satellite's expected lifespan, which was previously estimated to be up to 15 years.
The satellite’s destruction is yet another headache for Boeing, which is already dealing with a number of issues, including the fallout from the Starliner mission that left two NASA astronauts stranded in space; allegations of fraud related to the 737 Max crashes; and a strike by 300,000 workers at the aircraft manufacturing facility.
It also adds to the problem of space junk clogging Earth’s skies. Space agencies around the world are trying to track more than 30,000 of the largest pieces of junk, but many others are too small to track.
According to Live Science
Source: https://tienphong.vn/ve-tinh-do-boeing-san-xuat-vo-tan-tren-quy-dao-post1685258.tpo
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