Boeing-Made Satellite Explodes In Space

'Boeing has had a series of issues over the past few years,' writes Slashdot reader quonset. 'From planes crashing, lost service records, to a recent strike which cost them $6 billion, now comes word a satellite they made has exploded in space.' CBS News reports: The Intelsat 33e satellite, which was launched in 2016 and provides communications across Europe, Asia and Africa, experienced 'an anomaly' on Saturday, Intelsat said in a news release. Attempts were made to work with Boeing and repair the satellite, but on Monday, the U.S. Space Force confirmed that the satellite had exploded. The satellite's breakup left some customers without power or communications services. Intelsat said it is working with third-party providers to limit service interruptions, and is in communication with customers.

Since the breakup, the U.S. Space Force is now tracking 'around 20 associated pieces' of the satellite in space. The agency said that there are 'no immediate threats' and routine assessments to ensure safety are ongoing. Russia's space agency, Roscosmos, said it had recorded 'more than 80 fragments' of the destroyed satellite. Analysis of the pieces' trajectory determined that the destruction of the satellite was 'instantaneous and high-energy,' Roscosmos said.

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