Boeing’s Intelsat 33e Satellite Shatters in Orbit, Leaving 20 Pieces of Debris

Boeing’s
Intelsat
33e,
a
large
communications
satellite,
unexpectedly
broke
apart
in
orbit
over
the
weekend,
creating
at
least
20
pieces
of
space
debris.
The
satellite,
which
provided
broadband
communication
services
to
regions
across
Europe,
Africa,
and
Asia,
was
operating
from
a
geostationary
orbit
above
the
Indian
Ocean
before
it
stopped
functioning
on
19
October
2024.
Intelsat,
the
satellite’s
operator,
confirmed
the
total
loss
of
the
satellite
on
21
October
2024.
Currently,
the
cause
of
the
satellite’s
disintegration
remains
unknown.

Intelsat
33e
Breakdown
and
Debris

The
U.S.

Space
Force
confirmed
that
the
Intelsat
33e

satellite
had
shattered
into
at
least
20
pieces
of
debris,
though
there
is
no
immediate
threat
from
the
fragments
at
present.
Intelsat
representatives
stated
that
they
are
coordinating
with
Boeing,
the
satellite’s
manufacturer,
and
government
agencies
to
determine
the
exact
cause
of
the
malfunction.
A
Failure
Review
Board
has
been
established
to
conduct
a
detailed
analysis
of
the
incident.

Boeing’s
Satellite
Platform
Under
Scrutiny

Launched
in
2016,

Intelsat
33e
was
part
of
Boeing’s
EpicNG
platform,
designed
as
a
next-generation
satellite
to
provide
enhanced
communication
capabilities.
However,
this
is
the
second
failure
in
the
platform’s
line-up,
following
the
malfunction
of
Intelsat
29e,
which
also
faced
issues
after
being
hit
by
a
possible
micrometeoroid
or
solar
storm.
These
incidents
have
reduced
the
anticipated
15-year
lifespan
of
these
satellites,
raising
concerns
about
the
platform’s
reliability.

Growing
Space
Debris
Problem

The
disintegration
of
Intelsat
33e
contributes
to
the
increasing
problem
of
space
debris.
Over
30,000
pieces
of
large
debris
are
currently
tracked
by
space
agencies,
with
many
smaller
pieces
remaining
unmonitored.
Various
proposals
to
tackle
the
space
junk
issue
have
been
suggested,
including
using
nets,
clawed

robots,
and
tethers
to
clean
up
orbiting
debris.