A Boeing-manufactured satellite operated by Intelsat has been deemed a “total loss” following a severe space malfunction, the company announced on Monday. The satellite, known as IS-33e, encountered a critical “anomaly” on October 19 that led to a sudden loss of power and service, impacting customers across Europe, Africa, and parts of the Asia-Pacific region.
Launched in August 2016 and entering service in January 2017, the IS-33e satellite was a key component of Intelsat’s high-capacity EpicNG network, which promised advanced digital payload capabilities for commercial and government use. However, after the recent anomaly, hopes for restoring its service have dimmed. “Based on the information available to us, we believe it is unlikely that the satellite will be recoverable,” Intelsat stated.
According to some reports, the “anomaly” was the satellite breaking apart.
The McLean, Virginia-based satellite operator confirmed the total loss of IS-33e just two days after initially announcing the service disruption. The company is now working alongside Boeing and relevant government agencies to investigate the malfunction.
“A Failure Review Board has been convened to complete a comprehensive analysis of the cause of the anomaly,” Intelsat said. The review will examine data collected before and after the event to uncover what caused the satellite’s sudden failure.
In the meantime, Intelsat has initiated recovery efforts by coordinating with affected customers and partners. “Migration and service restoration plans are well underway across the Intelsat fleet and third-party satellites,” the company confirmed.
The IS-33e was reported to have been stationed at 60 degrees East longitude before it went offline. Equipped with cutting-edge digital payload technology, the satellite had been touted for its ability to support U.S. military operations and other government mobility needs. “The coverage Intelsat 33e provides is ideal to support U.S. Department of Defense mobility applications,” said Skot Butler, president of Intelsat General Corporation, in a 2017 statement.
The failure of the IS-33e adds to a turbulent period for Intelsat, which announced in April that it would merge with satellite operator SES in a $3.1 billion deal. The merger, intended to consolidate operations and create a formidable European satellite service provider, has raised investor concerns about debt, causing SES shares to hit record lows. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2025, with financing coming from cash and new debt, including hybrid bonds.
Boeing, which built the now-defunct satellite, has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the anomaly. The situation highlights the inherent risks of space operations, even for industry giants like Boeing and long-standing operators like Intelsat, as they work to resolve the outage and ensure continuity of service across their fleets.
