Intelsat 33e
| Company type | Satellite |
|---|---|
| Industry | Communications satellite |
| Predecessor | Intelsat 904 |
| Founded | August 24, 2016 |
Area served | Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia |
| Products | Communications services via C-band, Ku-band, and Ka-band payloads |
| Parent | Intelsat |
Intelsat 33e, also referred to as IS-33e, was a high-capacity satellite positioned in geostationary orbit and operated by Intelsat. It was constructed by Boeing Space Systems utilizing the BSS 702MP satellite platform. As the second installment in the EpicNG series, it provided coverage over Europe, Africa, and the majority of Asia from its orbital slot at 60° East longitude, succeeding Intelsat 904. The satellite carried a hybrid payload consisting of C-band, Ku-band, and Ka-band frequencies, featuring wide beams across all bands alongside spot beams specifically in the C- and Ku-bands.
Following nearly eight years of operation, Intelsat 33e disintegrated into at least 57 fragments on 19 October 2024. By December 2024, tracking systems had identified more than 700 debris fragments.
Satellite description
The Intelsat 33e spacecraft was engineered and built by Boeing based on the Boeing 702MP platform. It had a launch weight of , with an anticipated operational lifespan exceeding 15 years. When configured for launch, its dimensions were .
Energy was supplied by two solar arrays, each comprising four panels equipped with triple-junction GaAs solar cells. While the 702MP bus generally produces between 6 and 12 kW of power, Intelsat 33e was tailored to generate up to 13 kW at the end of its service life.
This satellite's payload represented the second implementation of the high-throughput EpicNG architecture, which achieves frequency reuse by combining frequency and polarization techniques within small spot beams across Ka-, Ku-, and C-band spectrums. The EpicNG design also integrates wide beams to support both broadcast and high-throughput functions.
The C-band segment included 20 transponders offering a total downlink bandwidth of 2,670 MHz, providing spot beam coverage over Europe, Central Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia, along with a wide beam serving sub-Saharan Africa. The Ku-band payload comprised an equivalent of 249 transponders delivering a total bandwidth of 9,194 MHz; it utilized spot beams covering Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, supplemented by a wide beam for broadcasting throughout these areas. The Ka-band component featured a global beam centered on the satellite's location with a bandwidth allocation of 450 MHz.
History
In July 2009, Intelsat became Boeing’s inaugural customer for the 702MP satellite bus by placing an order for four satellites, which included Intelsat 29e—the first EpicNG satellite. Subsequently, in May 2013, Intelsat commissioned four additional EpicNG satellites; Intelsat 33e was the initial unit from this second order.
On 15 July 2016, Boeing personnel managed preparations to transport Intelsat 33e to French Guiana for integration alongside Intelsat 36 on an Ariane 5 ECA launch vehicle scheduled for late August. The satellite arrived at the Guiana Space Center on 22 July to support communications services as well as aeronautical and maritime mobility customers. Its journey involved ground transport from the manufacturing facility to an airport in California before being flown aboard an Antonov An-124 cargo aircraft to Florida for fueling operations prior to final delivery at Kourou airport.
Although both Intelsat satellites were launched together on the Ariane 5 rocket, each had distinct launch teams due to differences in manufacturers and oversight arrangements.
The Ariane 5 ECA VA-232 mission lifted off on 24 August 2016 at 22:16:01 UTC following a short delay; separation of Intelsat 33e from the upper stage occurred at approximately 22:44 UTC. Both satellites successfully detached after a flight duration of about 41 minutes with signal acquisition confirmed shortly thereafter. Arianespace reported that the insertion orbit closely aligned with planned parameters.
On 9 September 2016, a failure in the primary LEROS-1c thruster caused delays in orbit raising maneuvers and postponed commencement of service from late 2016 to early 2017. By late September, insurance evaluations estimated that this propulsion anomaly would curtail operational lifespan by up to eighteen months and could result in a claim approaching US$40 million. Intelsat officially began service with Intelsat 33e on 29 January 2017, approximately three months behind initial projections.
In August 2017, additional propulsion complications led to increased propellant usage during north-south station-keeping operations, further shortening orbital longevity by roughly three and a half years.
Disintegration
On 19 October 2024, the U.S. Space Command announced that the satellite broke apart into approximately 20 fragments near 04:30 UTC. Since the incident, more than 700 debris pieces have been identified. Intelsat officially declared the satellite a complete loss on 21 October 2024. In contrast to the malfunction in 2016, this 2024 failure was not covered by insurance.
The previous satellite in this series, Intelsat 29e, also suffered an early breakdown, ceasing operations after just three years of service.