A Boeing-built satellite has collapsed in orbit. The satellite, which is officially known as Intelsat 33e, is just one of many that Intelsat uses to power communications around the world. The company reported an outage on October 19, stating that it was working closely with Boeing to resolve the problem. Now, though, the story has become clearer.
In an update shared on October 21, Intelsat says that the satellite experienced what is called a “breakup event.” Precisely what caused the satellite to break apart into pieces is still unclear. However, the Boeing-built satellite has had a long history of problems since its launch in August of 2016.
When it first launched, Intelsat 33e was expected to operate for 15 years. However, in August 2017—just one year after launch and entering operation—it was reported that the satellite was actually using far more fuel than it was supposed to while simply holding its position.
This anomaly, as well as issues with the main engine failing, cut the estimated operation time for the satellite from 15 years to less than 10, Spacenews notes in its report. Now, the satellite has broken up, leaving at least 20 fragments behind in geostationary orbit.
The loss of Intelsat 33e is, of course, just another notch in Boeing’s belt, as the company has experienced issue after issue in recent years. Not only has Boeing’s aircraft seen issues—with entire panels coming off during flight—but the company’s attempt at building a space capsule was also met with disappointment when it left astronauts stranded on the ISS.
With the unexplainable crash of this Boeing-built satellite, the cards seem to be stacked against the company even more. It’s quite a fall for Boeing, which used to be one of the highest-regarded companies in this industry. Hopefully, this is the last in a long slew of problems we’ve seen popping up lately. Unfortunately, I don’t think Boeing is quite that lucky.
