A satellite belonging to multinational service provider Intelsat mysteriously broke up in geostationary orbit over the weekend.

A satellite belonging to multinational service provider Intelsat mysteriously broke up in geostationary orbit over the weekend.

  • superkret@feddit.orgEnglish
    371·
    8 days ago

    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. Intesalt 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.

    Boeing produces more leaks than this guy:

    • floofloof@lemmy.caEnglish
      16·
      8 days ago

      I was on a Boeing plane the other day that was delayed while we watched a guy with a wrench and a rag trying to stop fuel leaking out of the wing. It wasn’t hugely reassuring.