Boeing-made satellite shatters in orbit, and nobody knows why

https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/boeing-made-satellite-shatters-in-orbit-and-nobody-knows-why

The Boeing-made Intelsat 33e satellite broke apart in orbit over the weekend. But company representatives don't yet know why.

75 points · 20 comments · view on lemmy.world

20 Comments

Red_October@lemmy.world · 40 pts · 1y

Obviously the satellite was a whistleblower and this was just a tragic accident.

Kyrgizion@lemmy.world · 18 pts · 1y

I wouldn't trust a Boeing condom at this point.

NaibofTabr@infosec.pub · 14 pts · 1y (6 replies)

I really hope it just broke apart... because the alternative is that somebody has an anti-satellite weapon that is fairly discreet (not as obvious as a missile fired from the ground) and that they're willing to actively use.

ramble81@lemm.ee · 16 pts · 1y (1 reply)

Could also be the massive amount of space debris ripped it a new one

NaibofTabr@infosec.pub · 3 pts · 1y

Yeah, there's lots of stuff in orbit, and these are just the objects large enough to be tracked by radar. An impact from a small, fast-moving object is a completely rational explanation.

Reddfugee42@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 1y (1 reply)

Occam's Razor - micrometeorite or space debris

catloaf@lemm.ee · 3 pts · 1y

Or just plain structural failure due to a design or manufacturing defect.

Kbobabob@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1y (1 reply)

Space lasers are real!!

Comment105@lemm.ee · 2 pts · 1y

I remember watching a Tech Ingredients video where I think they did the math on space lasers, I think the conclusion was that it would be technically possible to significantly impact local earth surface temperature with one. (Might've been a degree or two extra for 10km² or something like that, with a huge satellite, maybe around the size of Hubble, or bigger.)

Of course, there's no reason to believe some politicians' insane ramblings about "Jewish Space Lasers".

Edit, found the video: https://youtu.be/-MVs37rxJL0?si=4Ztwq-FyOiB0uZqI

If the topic seems insane, the caveat at 31:50 should probably correct the tone. This man doesn't actually believe space lasers were used to start a big grass fire.

Also, I remembered all the numbers very wrong.

schizo@forum.uncomfortable.business · 5 pts · 1y

...so the front fell off?

Crackhappy@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 1y

Meteoroid?

zurohki@aussie.zone · 5 pts · 1y

Boeing management should start calling their ex-girlfriends and begging them to take the curse off.

badbytes@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 1y

They attempted to find and ask the quality control person at Boeing, but they were on extended leave.

troed@fedia.io · 2 pts · 1y

I'm sure the right organizations know.

https://www.axios.com/2020/07/23/russia-space-anti-satellite-weapons-test