In a major setback for aerospace giant Boeing, a communications satellite designed and built by the company has broken up in orbit, causing a “total loss” for its operator, Intelsat. The iS-33e satellite failure has impacted customers in Europe, Africa, and parts of the Asia-Pacific region.
Intelsat has confirmed that they are working with Boeing and government agencies to analyze the incident thoroughly. The US Department of Defense’s space-tracking website, SpaceTrack, has also verified the incident, stating that they are currently tracking around 20 associated pieces of the satellite.
This latest mishap adds to Boeing’s ongoing challenges, including a strike at its commercial plane business and issues with its Starliner spacecraft. Two astronauts are currently stranded at the International Space Station after the Boeing Starliner capsule they arrived on was deemed unfit for the return flight. They are now scheduled to return to Earth on a spacecraft made by Elon Musk’s SpaceX next year.
Boeing has been facing financial difficulties as well, with the company seeking up to $35 billion in new funding and announcing plans to lay off 17,000 employees, about 10% of its workforce, starting in November. In July, Boeing agreed to plead guilty to a criminal fraud conspiracy charge and pay at least $243.6 million in relation to two 737-MAX planes that were lost in accidents resulting in 346 fatalities over five years ago.
The news of the satellite failure comes at a challenging time for Boeing, as the company continues to grapple with multiple crises on various fronts.
