After the blowout of the aeroplane plug, Boeing’s communications satellite exploded into pieces as it was orbiting in space and resulting in a “total loss” of the device which was used for serving customers across Africa, Europe and parts of the Asia-Pacific region.
The company, which had bought the satellite from Boeing, stated that its IS-33e satellite went entirely out of commission on Monday (Oct 21) after it first experienced an “anomaly” on Saturday (Oct 19).
“The anomaly previously disclosed on October 19 has resulted in the total loss of the Intelsat 33e satellite,” said the satellite-powered communications company Intelsat, in a statement.
“We are co-ordinating with the satellite manufacturer, Boeing, and government agencies to analyse data and observations,” it added.
Satellite breaks into 20 pieces of space junk
According to an alert, the satellite has broken into at least 20 pieces of space junk which are being tracked by the US Space Forces. The federal agency said that there are no immediate threats.
The company said that the satellite, which was expected to have a lifespan of 15 years was launched in August 2016 and was brought into service in January 2017, according to Space News.
The Boeing-built IS-33e had issues from the beginning.
The satellite had gone into service three months after facing an issue with its primary thruster. An issue in its second propulsion during testing had reduced 3.5 years from its initial lifespan, stated the industry publication.
Watch: Explained: Indian Space Agency’s Spadex Mission
According to Space News, Intelsat lost another Boeing satellite known as IS-29e in 2019.
Experts were not able to determine the cause of its destruction nearly three years after its launch, but it was said to have occurred most likely because of either a wiring issue or a collision with a meteorite.
In the last year, Boeing has come under intense scrutiny because of countless issues with its 737 MAX jets, its failed Starliner mission and the door-plug blowout case.
(With inputs from agencies)
