And in the worst possible orbit for a catastrophic failure too. This was out at a geostationary orbit (GEO), the kind where the satellite circles Earth at the same rate that Earth rotates making it look like the satellite is at a fixed position in the sky. By space standards these orbits are prime real estate because the satellite dishes to receive the transmissions are cheap to make. There’s no complicated motorized tracking system needed. Allocation for GEO slots is managed by the International Telecommunication Union.
The problem is that there’s basically no atmosphere out at GEO to gradually slow derelict debris. In a low Earth orbit (LEO) there’s actually still trace atmosphere that gradually slows anything in orbit. A satellite exploding in LEO is not ideal but it’s not a long-term issue, it will not cause a Kessler syndrome. All that debris is coming down in a few years at the very most and probably less than a year on average. LEO orbits are self-cleaning. But out at GEO any debris is going to be around for thousands of years minimum, possibly millions of years.
And this is not the first time that a satellite based on this specific Boeing satellite bus failed recently for unknown reasons in the past few years. Intelsat 29e (also out at GEO) failed in 2019 and seems to be surrounded by a debris cloud.
A satellite bus is a kind of standardized spacecraft that has the non-specialized systems needed to operate already designed: power, propulsion, navigation, comms, etc. The standardized size also means the customer can have an easy time finding a rocket that it will fit inside. The customer just specifies the extras they want when the contract for construction is signed.
i loved designing multi-use satellite buses in my hyper realistic modded kerbal space program games. also i loved designing standard launchers and weight rating them for LEO, MEO, etc.
sorry that wasn’t contributing besides just stating how much of a dork i am.
but i bet my virtual vidya game buses were better then anything Boeing could ever build, and they were basically just snap together legos
I do the same in KSP. It’s fun to fine-tune a general rocket design.
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sometimes satellites just do that
rapid unscheduled disassembly :)
There’s someone in the article comments making that exact argument.
US satellites have free will and just do what they want, whereas Chinese satellites fall apart because of the Asiatic brainpan’s inability to keep them up there.
Are you telling me the front fell off?
GOOD post
Yeah, that’s not very typical, I’d like to make that point.
Someday we might get as good at space as the ussr was
It’s interesting how in any article talking about this, they don’t bring up the amount of money it costs. However if there’s a natural disaster we know exactly how much resources they’re going to deny.
death to america
Did it catch a stray trash?, is the October surprise the Kessler Effect?
I choose to believe based on no evidence but half remembered news pieces and vibes that Iran took it out with a super secret anti spy-sat weapon
Havana death ray
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And if you ever point this out, the anti-china people assure you that this happens daily in China and you don’t hear about it because they cover it up (which is also why there’s no proof, see)
Chinese officials still decline to comment on allegations of a secret program to build a skeleton army, and I am forced to conclude the skeleton army must be bigger than we ever dared imagine
Disastrous news for China’s traditional Terracotta Army industry.
This is true, I have evidence right here!
spoiler
Oh don’t forget that the space junk collectors China built are also actually weapons for space combat
Healthy, non failing empire
Looks like the Americans are throwing satellites at their own people again. How often has this happened? It’s almost as if they are made from burger crumbs. Welp, I guess that’s just what happens in authoritarian regimes where the people don’t even know they’re oppressed. Maybe if they
harder, they’ll finally have access to quality engineering…But seriously though, fuck Boeing. Everything they touch turns to crap.
‘But the Chinese are throwing their satellites on their own people! And they had that one accident 30 years ago! Whatabout China!?’
