A Boeing-manufactured satellite experienced an “anomaly” and exploded into pieces.

Intelsat, a multinational satellite services provider, confirmed the news in a press release.

“Intelsat reported today that the anomaly previously disclosed on October 19 has resulted in the total loss of the Intelsat 33e satellite. We are coordinating with the satellite manufacturer, Boeing, and government agencies to analyze data and observations,” Intelsat announced.

“A Failure Review Board has been convened to complete a comprehensive analysis of the cause of the anomaly. Since the anomaly, Intelsat has been in active dialogue with affected customers and partners. Migration and service restoration plans are well underway across the Intelsat fleet and third-party satellites,” it added.

CBS News reports:

The U.S. Space Force is tracking debris in space after a satellite manufactured by Boeing exploded earlier this week, the satellite’s operator said.

The Intelsat 33e satellite, which was launched in 2016 and provides communications across Europe, Asia and Africa, experienced “an anomaly” on Saturday, Intelsat said in a news release. Attempts were made to work with Boeing and repair the satellite, but on Monday, the U.S. Space Force confirmed that the satellite had exploded.

The satellite’s breakup left some customers without power or communications services. Intelsat said it is working with third-party providers to limit service interruptions, and is in communication with customers.

Since the breakup, the U.S. Space Force is now tracking “around 20 associated pieces” of the satellite in space. The agency said that there are “no immediate threats” and routine assessments to ensure safety are ongoing.

Roscosmos, Russia’s space agency, said it was tracking around 80 fragments.

Per Futurism:

US-based space tracking company ExoAnalytic Solutions told SpaceNews that it’s tracking 57 associated pieces of debris.

While we have yet to find out the exact cause for the breakup, the incident serves as a reminder of the often limited life of satellites, as well as the ever-present threat of existing space debris colliding with our assets in orbit — a precarious situation that could potentially lead to a disaster.

The satellite, which weighed 14,600 pounds and was roughly the size of a minivan, was designed and manufactured by Boeing Space Systems and launched in 2016. It provided broadband services, including internet and phone communication services, to parts of Europe, Africa, and most of Asia.

IS-33e was the second satellite to be launched as part of Boeing’s “next generation” EpicNG platform. The first, dubbed IS-29e, failed due to a propulsion system fuel leak. Intelsat declared the satellite a total loss in April 2019, later attributing it to either a micrometeoroid strike or solar weather activity.

What caused IS-33e to break up in orbit remains unclear, however. Intelsat officials did observe that it was using far more fuel than it should be to maintain its orbit shortly after launching eight years ago, shaving off 3.5 years of its 15-year lifetime.

 

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