Intelsat 33e Stops Operating After Anomaly Occurs

JAKARTA Intelsat 33e, a high throughput satellite (HTS) made by Boeing, which is in a geostationary orbit (GEO) has lost its power. Now, the satellite will no longer provide communication services.

According to the official Intelsat website, the satellite experienced anomalies on Saturday, October 19 and affected customers in European, African, and parts of the Asia Pacific region. It is not yet known what kind of anomaly has taken away Intelsat's power.

After the anomaly, Intelsat tried to overcome its satellite problem along with Boeing, but there has been no solution to date. Intelsat also believes that the satellite in GEO will lose its power and function forever.

"We are working closely with Boeing, a satellite manufacturer, to address the situation. Based on the information available to us, we believe the satellite is unlikely to be restored," Intelsat said via its official website.

To reduce customer losses, Intelsat is trying to transfer its customers to other satellites in the intelligence fleet. The company is also trying to establish cooperation with spacecraft operated by third parties.

"While we assess the capacity of our fleet and cooperate with third-party providers to reduce service disruptions, Intelsat representatives communicate directly with all affected customers," Intelsat said.

This is not the first damage suffered by Intelsat. In 2019, the Intelsat 29e satellite was declared damaged after three years of orbiting. At that time, Intelsat revealed that its satellite was damaged due to the impact of a meteroid related to high solar weather activity.