Intelsat 33e satellite suffers power failure in orbit

Intelsat says satellite providing communications to Europe, Africa, and parts of Asia-Pacific is likely unrecoverable.

Intelsat 33e, a key satellite providing communications across Europe, Africa, and parts of Asia-Pacific, has lost power and is no longer operational, the company announced on October 19, 2024.

Intelsat is working with Boeing, the satellite's manufacturer, to address the issue but believes it is unlikely the satellite will be recoverable.

The satellite was not insured at the time of the failure.

Launched in August 2016 and entering service in January 2017, Intelsat 33e was part of the company's EpicNG series of high-throughput satellites.

The satellite’s lifespan was originally projected at 15 years, but propulsion issues encountered shortly after launch reduced its expected life by 3.5 years.

This follows the failure of Intelsat 29e, another satellite in the same series, which was declared a total loss in 2019 after a propulsion leak and a breakup event.

Recently, SpaceX completed its 99th mission of the year on Friday night by launching 20 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 7:31 p.m. ET from Space Launch Complex 40, with the booster making its 17th flight and successfully landing on the "Just Read the Instructions" droneship in the Atlantic.

Intelsat is working to transfer customers to other satellites within its fleet or to third-party spacecraft to minimize service disruption.

The loss of Intelsat 33e marks a significant setback for the company's EpicNG satellite program, as it is the second failure of the series.

The satellite’s power loss underscores the challenges of managing advanced satellite systems in geostationary orbit, especially when earlier technical issues reduce their projected service life.