Boeing-made satellite breaks up in space
A Boeing-made satellite has exploded in space, dealing a fresh blow to the crisis-hit aerospace company.
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.
However, on Saturday an “anomaly” caused it to unexpectedly break apart, a statement from Intelsat said, bringing a halt to communications.
The incident is the latest embarrassment for Boeing, which has been battling a reputational crisis since a major safety failure on one of its 737 Max 9 passenger planes in January.
In its space division, executives at the company were also left red-faced after their Starliner spacecraft was deemed insufficiently safe to return two astronauts to Earth from the International Space Station this summer.
After confirming the satellite incident over the weekend, Intelsat has now said it believes IS-33e is a “total loss”.
The US Space Force separately said it was tracking some 20 pieces of debris from the craft in orbit.
It said officials had “observed no immediate threats” but were continuing to monitor the situation.
Intelsat said customers who relied on the satellite’s services were being transferred to other assets or satellites operated by third parties.
In a statement, the company added: “We are coordinating with the satellite manufacturer, Boeing, and government agencies to analyse data and observations.
“A failure review board has been convened to complete a comprehensive analysis of the cause of the anomaly.”
The IS-33e satellite had suffered problems previously, according to the website Space News, with issues concerning its primary thruster delaying it entering service in January 2017.
Further problems with the craft’s thrusters while tests were being conducted in orbit then reduced the satellite’s planned 15-year lifespan by three and a half years.
IS-33e was designed and manufactured by Boeing, based on the company’s 702 communications satellite family.
Boeing has been contacted for comment.