Produced by: Tarun Mishra
The Boeing-made Intelsat 33e communications satellite broke apart in orbit, disrupting services in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. This event adds to the growing issue of space debris in Earth's orbit.
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Intelsat 33e, launched in 2016, provided broadband services from a geostationary orbit above the Indian Ocean. The satellite had experienced multiple issues since its launch, including propulsion problems, which affected its operational timeline.
On October 20, reports emerged that the satellite had suffered a sudden power loss. Hours later, US Space Forces confirmed the satellite had broken into at least 20 pieces, raising concerns about the cause and long-term impact of the debris.
The breakup of Intelsat 33e has added to the increasing amount of space junk in orbit. The European Space Agency estimates over 40,000 pieces of debris larger than 10cm are currently in orbit, with smaller fragments numbering in the millions.
Tracking debris, especially in higher altitudes like the 35,000km orbit of Intelsat 33e, is difficult. Most debris fragments are too small to be detected from Earth, increasing the risk of future collisions with other satellites.
Intelsat 33e’s breakup follows several recent satellite fragmentation events. In June, the RESURS-P1 satellite broke up in low Earth orbit, and in August, the upper stage of a Chinese rocket fragmented, adding hundreds of trackable debris pieces.
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Responsibility for space debris remains a complex issue. Under the 1972 Convention of International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects, the country that launched the object holds responsibility. However, accountability and cleanup efforts remain limited in practice.
As space activity increases, managing orbital debris is becoming more urgent. Continuous monitoring and improved tracking are necessary to minimise risks, while deliberate planning for de-orbiting satellites at the end of their missions can reduce future debris creation.