Intelsat satellite breaks up in geosynchronous orbit
An Intelsat communications satellite launched in 2016 has broken up in its high geosynchronous orbit, scattering into as many as 57 pieces of debris.
“U.S. Space Forces-Space (S4S) has confirmed the breakup of Intelsat 33E (#41748, 2016-053B) in GEO on October 19, 2024, at approximately 0430 UTC,” states an alert posted on SpaceTrack, the U.S. Department of Defense’s space-tracking platform. “Currently tracking around 20 associated pieces – analysis ongoing. S4S has observed no immediate threats and is continuing to conduct routine conjunction assessments to support the safety and sustainability of the space domain.”
Douglas Hendrix, CEO of ExoAnalytic Solutions, said the U.S.-based space-tracking company identified 57 pieces of debris Oct. 21 associated with the breakup. “We are warning operators of any spacecraft that we think are at risk of collision,” Hendrix said via email.
This satellite, which served Europe, Africa, and parts of Asia, has had thruster issues since launch, suggesting the breakup might have been caused by similar issues.
At the moment is is unclear whether the debris will threaten other satellites in geosynchronous orbit.
The break-up once again highlights the profit potential for companies capable of removing such space junk. Communications companies like Intelsat as well as others in close orbits would certainly be willing to pay someone to clean things up, for many reasons.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
An Intelsat communications satellite launched in 2016 has broken up in its high geosynchronous orbit, scattering into as many as 57 pieces of debris.
“U.S. Space Forces-Space (S4S) has confirmed the breakup of Intelsat 33E (#41748, 2016-053B) in GEO on October 19, 2024, at approximately 0430 UTC,” states an alert posted on SpaceTrack, the U.S. Department of Defense’s space-tracking platform. “Currently tracking around 20 associated pieces – analysis ongoing. S4S has observed no immediate threats and is continuing to conduct routine conjunction assessments to support the safety and sustainability of the space domain.”
Douglas Hendrix, CEO of ExoAnalytic Solutions, said the U.S.-based space-tracking company identified 57 pieces of debris Oct. 21 associated with the breakup. “We are warning operators of any spacecraft that we think are at risk of collision,” Hendrix said via email.
This satellite, which served Europe, Africa, and parts of Asia, has had thruster issues since launch, suggesting the breakup might have been caused by similar issues.
At the moment is is unclear whether the debris will threaten other satellites in geosynchronous orbit.
The break-up once again highlights the profit potential for companies capable of removing such space junk. Communications companies like Intelsat as well as others in close orbits would certainly be willing to pay someone to clean things up, for many reasons.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Several questions here:
If a set of bodies are assembled in space, moving at uniform speed and then “break-up”, what could cause the break-up? Why would they quickly separate?
Who would be responsible for the possible “clean-up” of these pieces? Boeing, Intelsat, what country? How is this “required” clean-up enforced? Who can sue and what standing would they have?
If clean-up is not enforceable then there is little assurance of possible profit
Chris wrote, “If clean-up is not enforceable then there is little assurance of possible profit.”
I don’t agree. The debris poses a risk to other satellites, now and in the future. It is in the interest of satellite companies to get it removed. With so many big constellations planned, it is going to become imperative for these companies to pay for their removal. Thus the profit motive.
Why do modern Americans always assume nothing can be accomplished without some government regulation? The assumption if anything has been proven false in the past half century, in numerous ways, resulting in less achievement and accomplishment.
That’s one way to deploy a megaconstellation…
In more disturbing news, I am hearing scuttlebutt about an alleged attempt to interfere with Starlink’s Direct-to-Cell on the part of Omnispace and… Lockheed Martin.
Here I thought they were the cleaner of the two big primes.
Question for anyone:
“breakup,” is that tech-speak for ‘exploded?’
Wayne asks: “breakup,” is that tech-speak for ‘exploded?’
While I don’t know the particulars of this event and what the wreckage is doing, there is a clear linguistic difference between the two terms. Breakup implies that parts separated, Explosion implies that parts separated at high velocity. In the case of a satellite like this, it’s entirely possible that a thruster, fuel tank or battery had a small explosion that was sufficient to break part of the satellite free. So while there might have been an explosion on or within the craft, to say that the craft itself exploded would be inaccurate.
Or of course it could just be what is all too common these days: why use words that are simple and descriptive when you can use anodyne third party passive verbiage that doesn’t actually inform.
David Eastman, I think your points are well taken. In addition, I wonder if there is another scenario besides partial and full explosion, and that is rotation-induced disintegration.
If a thruster failed “open”, the entire satellite could quickly assume a high spin rate. The structural strength of a satellite, especially between the main body and solar arrays or antennae need not be high, as these will typically only be fully extended in a weightless condition. Prior to deployment, the major subassemblies would be supported by launching cradle structures.
So I could see a non-explosive disintegration resulting from a thruster malfunction.
”I don’t agree. The debris poses a risk to other satellites, now and in the future. It is in the interest of satellite companies to get it removed.”
I agree with Bob. Intelsat has historically been a pretty good steward of geosynchronous orbit, likely because they have the largest commercial fleet in that orbit and thus the most to lose. They probably would pay a reasonable fee to remove the debris from this breakup if such a service were available, but we’re probably 5-10 years away from that being practical.
I wouldn’t be surprised, though, to see the U. S. government sending one of its GSSAP or Silent Barker craft over to check it out. They have both the capability and the largest fleet in GEO. We would probably never hear of it if that happened, but I’d expect the results would be shared with Boeing and maybe the other primes for U. S. government GEO sats.
Intelsat just had an “observation” is all.
David / Ray–
I was only being 1/2 facetious. It obviously transformed from 1 object into 20. And a certain amount of force is required to break stuff.
Btw– do we know if the mass of the parts equals the mass of the whole? If I’m recalling correctly, we can track this stuff down to the centimeter size range?
Is there any indication it was hit by a meteor or other space-debris?
Bob, you wrote:
“I don’t agree. The debris poses a risk to other satellites, now and in the future. It is in the interest of satellite companies to get it removed. With so many big constellations planned, it is going to become imperative for these companies to pay for their removal. Thus the profit motive.
Why do modern Americans always assume nothing can be accomplished without some government regulation? The assumption if anything has been proven false in the past half century, in numerous ways, resulting in less achievement and accomplishment.”
In the recent East Palestine train derailment we saw Norfolk Southern assume responsibility of the crash and work to assess the situation, take action fairly quickly and try to compensate the residents.
Here, there were immediate results to an immediate problem that affected lives and property. We also had liability (law) and a full regulation structure in place that was ready to descend onto Norfolk Southern if they did nothing or only offered a minimal response.
In the case of the Intelsat break-up we don’t have a known cause, nor an immediate problem that can be shown in the immediate future and no infrastructure to enforce or enact a non-existent remedy. There is also no industry standard or even a defined way to “clean” the orbit.
I agree that we should not always look to regulation to solve problems as the solution. In this case, there is nothing in place:
– no understanding of how to do this
– no understanding or definition of what “cleaning” an orbit is. What minimum size object needs removed, how wide does the swath in the defined orbit need cleaned… etc? When is the cleaning “done”?
– If an external natural body hit the satellite is the “responsible party” (who is this?) really responsible? What if it is proven the break-up is from other space junk – are they partly or fully responsible?
– Where is the jurisdiction? International, Country, State?
– Does the “cleaner” of the orbit now have any claim on the use of that orbit – how much claim?
etc.
If a company were to venture into the task of inventing the processes of “cleaning” and then actually clean the orbit and not have a defined understanding of the rewards and advantages for doing this, the board and executives should be released and possibly sued.
Once again I agree that we should not always look for regulation to solve our problems. However, there is barely nothing in the way of law (Outer Space Treaty maybe), commercial practice or standards in place. Without that, there is no way to profit.
David Eastman wrote: “While I don’t know the particulars of this event and what the wreckage is doing, there is a clear linguistic difference between the two terms. Breakup implies that parts separated, Explosion implies that parts separated at high velocity. In the case of a satellite like this, it’s entirely possible that a thruster, fuel tank or battery had a small explosion that was sufficient to break part of the satellite free. So while there might have been an explosion on or within the craft, to say that the craft itself exploded would be inaccurate.”
These three are the most likely causes. A propellant tank explosion is probably least likely, although since the debris is spread in a line rather than a sphere, a fuel tank on one side of the craft may have burst. A thruster accident spinning up the craft until it breaks up is also possible, but I would expect fewer large pieces, and they would likely spread out in a disk shape.
I think the most likely cause is a battery rupture. Batteries on these satellites tend to be nickel hydrogen, and they work on a gas, pressurizing as they charge up. The hazard is that if they get too hot, then the pressure can exceed the burst pressure of the cell. Thermal control on these is paramount. Since the debris seems to be spreading linearly, I suspect that this is what happened, and the debris came off the side of the satellite with the burst battery cell(s).
However, I like a story of a satellite being delivered to the customer, and as part of the delivery a representative was showing the ground crew how to control and operate it. One lesson was using the thrusters, and the customer’s operator accidentally used the 5 pound thrusters instead of the one-pound thrusters, and he began a spin acceleration much faster than the solar arrays could tolerate. They recovered from the spin, but the solar arrays were slanted a few degrees off from the sun directly. This angle could not be corrected by the drive motors. It wasn’t a problem for the needed amount of power, but it was an accident that should not have happened. It also is a cautionary tale about the delicate nature of the deployed parts of a satellite.
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Robert Zimmerman wrote: “Why do modern Americans always assume nothing can be accomplished without some government regulation?”
It probably started about the same time someone first coined the phrase, “there ought to be a law!” Somehow, government was seen as the solution of our problems rather than the cause of them (blame the First Amendment for its “and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances” clause). Even today, we expect FEMA to come to the aid of those suffering from hurricane Helena, but instead the funds went to the aid of illegal aliens that the administration illegally flew into the country. Reagan was right. Government is the problem, especially these days when the taxes we paid to solve post hurricane problems has already been wasted causing illegal alien problems.
Government has its own priorities, and they are not the priorities of We the People. It is clear that government for the people has indeed perished from the Earth.
I agree with Edward;
“Government has its own priorities, and they are not the priorities of We the People. It is clear that government for the people has indeed perished from the Earth”
My first thoughts when hearing of a satellite experiencing troubles suddenly “disassembled”…
what could’ve been the cause?
Small meteor collision? Fuel or battery malfunction? Target practice of Russian, US, Chinese? on a satellite in high orbit that needed to be removed with plausible deniability?
If the government wants to control a thing, it just sets up a situation… A “false flag” event, where the public demands a government solution which often results in the solution been worst than the problem.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_flag
A orbital tug or a rocket with the debris net to scoop up objects would have an overwhelming objective considering how vast the amount of area to patrol and the different distance, orbital speeds and directions that the objects are flying. Just the kind of project that the government would undertake with an unlimited budget despite the hopelessness of the task.
The most plausible solution would be a maneuvering orbital platform with high powered lasers in geosynchronous orbit above an empty space in the Pacific where they can target objects as they pass between. (Disposable rockets with built-in radar and a capture net can be used for the larger pieces to be swept up for reentry)
No need to chase debris, let the debris come to you.
Weapons in space would be the net result. It’s capabilities to be used for evil are greater than it’s good intentions. Control over the highground of any satellites or craft without authorization could be a target.
There are still rumors that space born high powered blue lasers were used in Hawaii and in South America to remove A population from much desired land development.
(it’s very difficult for good people to believe that such evil could exist)