Zombie' sat about to go dark?
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Platinum Member Username: PlymouthCanada Post Number: 15794 Registered: Jan-08 | Chris Forrester - 12, 10, 2010 Intelsat's rogue satellite, Galaxy-15, might go dark towards the end of the month. Galaxy-15 has been drifting steadily -- but uncontrollably -- since April when a solar flare is thought to have damaged the craft's on-board systems. However, the satellite's collection and re-transmission function has remain firmly active and has thus been of considerable risk to satellites in or near its path of drift. One particular pass saw Galaxy-15 get to within 0.2 degrees of AMC-11, for example. Ground-based engineers have tried hundreds of commands to 're-boot' the satellite, without success. The technicians are now hoping that the satellite will shortly lose the ability to point its solar panels towards the sun, resulting in its going into a self-protection mode where the engineers will again attempt to kick-start the craft back to normal operations. The latest estimate is that this will happen between now and Dec 29. The engineers need to move very quickly because with power the satellite's fuel propellant will quickly freeze and render the satellite useless. However, if this procedure fails then the craft will likely be considered totally lost. It is most unlikely to fall back to Earth but instead will drift to a natural point in space but no longer a threat to near-neighbours. |
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Gold Member Username: RunnerguyPluto Post Number: 2274 Registered: Sep-06 | Playmouth posting is OLD and totally FALSE!! http://www.universetoday.com/81993/zombie-satellite-now-under-control/ |
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Bronze Member Username: HardonePost Number: 71 Registered: Nov-10 | Zulu is 100% correct and Playmouth is 200% wrong: A geostationary satellite that become a 'zombie' earlier this year and stopped communicating with ground controllers has now finally been reset and is under control. The Galaxy 15 communications satellite had its 'brains fried' by a solar flare and went rogue in early May. Although it was still functional, its navigation and communications systems would not accept commands, and the satellite drifted out of its orbit. On December 23, 2010, engineers at the company Intelsat were finally able to command the unit to reset after a battery drained. Shortly thereafter Galaxy 15 began accepting commands, and then was put into safe mode. 'We are pleased to report it no longer poses any threat of satellite interference to either neighboring satellites or customer services,' IntelSat said on their website. While there was little chance that Galaxy 15 would crash into another satellite, it caused some problems when it entered an orbital space occupied by other satellites and 'stole' their signal, thereby interrupting other vendor's services to customers on Earth. Engineers will now do some diagnostic tests and load updated commanding software to the satellite. 'We expect to relocate the satellite to an Intelsat orbital location where engineers at our Satellite Operations Control Center will initiate extensive in-orbit testing to determine the functionality of every aspect of the spacecraft,' Intelsat said. The satellite is currently pointed towards the Sun, allowing the spacecraft's batteries to become fully charged and the satellite thermally balanced. Once initial diagnostic testing has been completed, IntelSat will attempt to stop the drift of the satellite. This phase could take as long as two weeks to complete. Intelsat is hoping full functionality of Galaxy 15 can be regained and they hope to relocate the satellite to an orbital location where we they can assess the viability of the payload, and conduct extensive in-orbit testing to determine the functionality of every aspect of the spacecraft. Source: Intelsat Tagged as: Galaxy 15, Satellites  |
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Diamond Member Username: NydasPost Number: 20470 Registered: Jun-06 | Hardone and usurper. Plymouth was absolutely right about posting a piece of news on 22nd Decemeber, 2010. Plymouth also reported that "the engineers will again attempt to kick-start the craft back to normal operations. " Which the Engineers did on the next day. The fact that "On December 23, 2010, engineers at the company Intelsat were finally able to command the unit" confirms the facts as posted by Plymouth. YOUR report clearly states "Intelsat is hoping full functionality of Galaxy 15 can be regained " which only goes to confirm Plymouth's statement". Plymouth stated "The latest estimate is that this will happen between now and Dec 29." You were banished and banished for the right reason. You are a no good intruder and have nothing useful to post. |
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Gold Member Username: RunnerguyPluto Post Number: 2275 Registered: Sep-06 | "ZombieSat is Alive" http://news.discovery.com/space/zombiesat-is-alive.html |
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Silver Member Username: ChevroletPost Number: 476 Registered: Sep-10 | 'Zombiesat' Is Alive!.Analysis by Ian O'Neill Wed Dec 29, 2010 05:19 AM ET So is Nalin Frankenstein |
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