Boeing satellite explodes in space

File pic

A large communications satellite has broken up in orbit, affecting users in Europe, Central Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Australia, and adding to the growing swarm of space junk clouding our planet's neighbourhood.

The Boeing-made Intelsat 33e satellite provided broadband communication from some 35,000 km above the Indian Ocean, in a geostationary orbit around the equator.

Initial reports on October 20 said Intelsat 33e had experienced a sudden power loss. Later, the US confirmed the satellite appears to have broken up into at least 20 pieces. There is no information on the cause of the breakup.

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