Boeing satellite mysteriously broke up in orbit

Intelsat 33e, Boeing’s large communications satellite, mysteriously broke up in Earth orbit, scattering at least 20 pieces of space junk and affecting users around the globe. The Intelsat 33e satellite, which provides broadband communications to Europe, Africa and Asia from geostationary orbit above the Indian Ocean, stopped operating on October 19 due to an “unusual” problem before it was confirmed. completely missing on October 21, according to Intelsat, the satellite service provider operating the device.

Subsequent observations by the US Space Force confirmed that the satellite had broken into at least 20 pieces, but there was no immediate threat from these pieces. Authorities still do not know exactly what caused the satellite to suddenly break up. “We are coordinating with the satellite manufacturer, Boeing and government agencies to analyze the data and observations,” Intelsat said.

The Intelsat 33e satellite weighs 6,600 kg and is as large as a limo, designed and manufactured by Boeing, launched into orbit in 2016. This is the second satellite to fly into space as part of the next-generation EpicNG platform. new from Boeing. The first satellite, IS-29e, also failed after several years in space, with fuel leaks caused by micrometeor impacts or solar storms. These problems significantly reduced the satellite’s expected lifespan despite previous estimates of 15 years.

The breakup of the Intelsat 33e satellite is another loss for Boeing, which is facing many problems including the fallout from the Starliner mission that left two NASA astronauts stranded in space and the machine’s accident. flying the 737 Max.

The incident also worsened the problem of space junk in Earth orbit. Space agencies around the world seek to track more than 30,000 of the largest pieces of space junk, but many are too small to observe. Scientists have proposed many solutions to clean up trash, such as collecting with nets, using robots with claws, and using spacecraft to catch large pieces of trash.