According to an official update, an “anomaly” caused the satellite β dubbed IS-33e β to be destroyed, resulting in what the company calls a “total loss.”
“Migration and service restoration plans are well underway across the Intelsat fleet and third-party satellites,” the update reads.
It’s unclear what exactly caused the satellite to break up. The US Space Force announced it was “tracking around 20 associated pieces” but “observed no immediate threats.”
US-based space tracking company ExoAnalytic SolutionsΒ toldΒ SpaceNewsthat it’s tracking 57 associated pieces of debris.
βWe are working closely with Boeing, the satellite manufacturer, to address the situation,β a statement reads. βBased on the information available to us, we believe it is unlikely that the satellite will be recoverable.β
Reports say the satellite broke up, and US Space Command has identified 20 pieces of it that are now heading toward Earth.
