Intelsat 33e Breaks Up in Geostationary Orbit, Resulting in Loss of Power and 20 Debris Pieces Tracked

Oct 20, 2024, 03:31 AM

Intelsat 33e, an operational communications satellite by Intelsat, has experienced a breakup event in geostationary orbit. The incident occurred at approximately 0430 UTC on October 19, resulting in a loss of power and service to customers. The satellite, designated as #41748 and 2016-053B, was launched on August 24, 2016, and is currently over the Indian Ocean at 60.1E. The US Space Force is tracking around 20 pieces of debris associated with the breakup, although they have not yet been cataloged. Intelsat is working closely with Boeing, the manufacturer of the satellite, to analyze the situation.