A MEASAT-3 communications satellite is expected to fall from space and meet a fiery end after an "anomaly" knocked it off orbit.
The satellite first encountered problems on June 21, resulting in a loss of service for customers, reported Space.com. Measat said despite being brought under ground control on June 24, it hasn't been functioning since.
The company has decided to proceed with a deorbit on August 6. Measat and the satellite maker, Boeing, are conducting investigations into the 'root cause'.
"Further testing and recovery efforts found that the satellite could not re-enter service. The satellite will be de-orbited in the following weeks," it said in the update. Details on the exact timing for when it plans to burn up Measat-3 have yet to be released.
Measat-3 launched on December 11, 2006, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. It is the same launch centre where Soyuz spacecraft send crews to the International Space Station.
The spacecraft serves more than 100 countries in Asia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Satellite TV operator Astro was among the customers affected, according to a report citing tweets from Astro.
Most customers were transferred to backup satellites by mid-July. But the satellite was tumbling in its orbit since at least July 1, according to ExoAnalytic Solutions, a space tracking company.
"It's rare to see one come back from this stage," ExoAnalytic Solutions executive vice-president of engineering Bill Therien told SpaceNews on July 17.
ExoAnalytic said there was no debris around Measat-3 that hinted at an in-space collision. The satellite also has no near-term collision risk with any other space object, it added.
SpaceNews on August 11, quoting insurers, said the satellite may have run out of fuel earlier than expected in its geosynchronous orbit.
Measat said it is readying a new satellite called Measat-3D, built by Airbus Defence and Space, "for early 2022". – The Vibes, August 15, 2021
