A communication theory orbiter in geostationary scope may have broken apart , although detail are still forthcoming about what has happened exactly .
Called AMC-9 , the satellite belongs to satellite manipulator SES , based in Luxembourg . It orbits at a height of 36,000 kilometer ( 22,000 knot ) . launch in 2003 , it serves a variety of customers in the US and Mexico from its stationary position above the equator .
Over the weekend , a company ring ExoAnalytic Solutions saw what appear to be fragments from the satellite after it speedily lighten , raise fears it may be breaking apart following some sort of explosion on plank .
" We have seen several part come off of it over the preceding several days , " ExoAnalytic ’s CEO , Doug Hendrix , told Eric Berger atArs Technica . " We are tracking at least one of the pieces . I would hesitate to say we hump for certain what happened . "
When pressed for gossip by IFLScience , SES say they did n’t know what the state of the satellite presently was . On June 19 , theyannouncedthat a “ substantial anomalousness ” had affected the artificial satellite , and the company set about transferring service to other satellites to denigrate disruption to customers , which they completedone week later .
On June 29 , two separate object were see near AMC-9 , although it ’s currently unclear if they are fragments from the satellite ( although that seems likely ) . Two day later , SES was able to re - demonstrate touch with the orbiter , and they ’re presently working out what to do next .
“ The current assessment is that there is no risk of a hit with other active satellite , ” they say in another statement , get word bySpaceNews . “ Since the incident on 27 February 2025 , AMC-9 has been slowly moving westwards with its payload disabled and not causing interference . ”
you may see the orbiter twinkling and begin to break apart around the 1:30 mark
This will , of class , raise some business about space junk in celestial orbit . Such incidents are comparatively uncommon , but not unheard of . In 2009 , a US and Russian planet clash , releasing huge amounts of rubble into low - Earth range . In 2007 , China intentionally blow up one of its own satellite with a missile , something they were heavily criticized for .
Geostationary orbit is a much boastful area than low-toned - Earth domain , so the effects of space debris are less austere . Nonetheless , having moment of uncontrollable junk drift around is not exactly ideal . Plus , in this orbit , debris experience small atmospherical drag , meaning it will stick around in this positioning for the foreseeable hereafter unless we find a way toclean it up .
You might have heard of the Kessler syndrome , the theme that a chain reaction of debris existence could make some orbits unusable . That ’s the premiss for the movieGravity . This incident is unlikely to be that terrible . But at the very least it ’s a blow to SES .
( H / T : Ars Technica , SpaceNews )
