posted 10-23-2024 07:17 AM               

Intelsat said in an Oct. 19 news release it was working with satellite maker Boeing to address an anomaly that emerged earlier that day, but added it was “unlikely that the satellite will be recoverable.”

In an Oct. 21 update, Intelsat declared the satellite a total loss. The company said it is working with government agencies to analyze data and observations, and has set up a Failure Review Board to investigate the anomaly’s cause.

The U.S. Space Force reported Oct. 19 that it was tracking around 20 pieces of debris associated with the spacecraft.

posted 10-29-2024 10:12 AM               

U.S.-based space-tracking company ExoAnalytic Solutions has identified about 500 pieces of debris from Intelsat 33e's recent breakup in geostationary orbit (GEO).

"The size of the debris we are tracking ranges from small fragments roughly the size of a softball to larger pieces up to the size of a car door," ExoAnalytic chief technology officer Bill Therien told SpaceNews in an Oct. 28 email.

"The majority of the tracked objects are on the smaller end of that spectrum, which contributes to the difficulty of consistently observing all the debris pieces." ...

It is too early to say whether parts of Intelsat 33e could hit another object in orbit...