An Intelsat internet satellite has mysteriously broken apart in Earth’s orbit, raising concerns about the cause and the risk of space debris colliding with other satellites.
On Saturday, the Intelsat 33e satellite experienced an “anomaly,” according to Intelsat, which supplies communications services to governments, telecom firms, and media companies. At the time, the company merely said the satellite had lost power, triggering a service outage. But the US Space Force also reports spotting debris from Intelsat 33e.
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“Currently tracking around 20 associated pieces—analysis ongoing,” the satellite tracking arm of Space Force tweeted. Intelsat 33e had been circling Earth at about 35,000 kilometers away from the planet, or about 70 times higher than an average Starlink satellite.
Although the cause of Intelsat 33e’s apparent demise is unclear, it’s possible the satellite itself may have collided with some preexisting space debris, resulting in the satellite breaking apart, tweeted Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer and tracker of satellites. The other possibility is that a component on board Intelsat 33e, such as the propulsion, may have exploded, he added.
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For now, the debris from Intelsat 33e doesn’t pose an immediate threat, but it could represent a danger over the long term. According to McDowell’s count, the space industry has experienced a total of 16 “debris events” in Earth’s geostationary orbit at 35,000 kilometers.
“I think the aggregate of about 16 GEO debris events so far is starting to make the risk of at least small debris hits to other sats worrying, but I don’t have a quantitative estimate,” McDowell said.
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Intelsat didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. But the company’s original statement said it’s “working closely with Boeing, the satellite manufacturer, to address the situation.”
Intelsat 33e launched in 2016 and entered service the next year to power communication services for customers in Europe, Africa, and parts of Asia-Pacific.
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About Michael Kan
Senior Reporter
