It now seems that a powerful solar flare on about April 5 hit the Galaxy-15 satellite that normally beams Fox Sports, ESPN, Starz/Encore, AMC and the Sundance Channel and others to US viewers.
Two weeks ago Intelsat, which operates Galaxy-15 from 133 degrees West, said the powerful satellite had suffered an "anomaly". They confirmed that the satellite's transponders, remarkably, were still working but the satellite was no longer responding to ground-based telemetry commands.
The craft was built by Washington-based Orbital Sciences, and its CEO David W. Thompson, has said that "the cause of the failure is probably traceable to a fairly severe level of solar activity that occurred over the April 3-April 5 period." No other Orbital-built spacecraft were affected during that period.
Mr Thompson said the solar flare theory was their "best informed guess" as to the reasons for the problems. Orbital was also hopeful that once Intelsat's clients were moved to their new home, and intensive tests could begin on Galaxy-15, then service could well be resumed "by this summer".
Intelsat has since made plans to relocate its broadcasting clients onto another Orbital Sciences craft, Galaxy-12, and this is being done without loss of service.