Boeing-built satellite blows up into bits in space, cutting comms

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explorer925@reddit

How does a satellite explode? Do they carry some kind of fuel for propulsion? Or is it standard to put explosives on satellites?

(i know nothing about satellites, obviously, but am so curious)

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ProstheTec@reddit (OP)

They don't know why yet. If I had to guess? Space debris, or something more dubious...

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They do have propellant, of a sort. They often have tanks full of a monopropellant like hydrazine, and use it in little squirts to control orientation. If you e ever watched a realistic sci fi movie and see little cones of vapour spraying out of their space suits and ships, that’s hydrazine. Though it’s kept under pressure, it’s very inert and nonvolatile (its greatest advantage).

However, short a massive kinetic impact, I can’t see what would obliterate a satellite so completely.

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melympia@reddit

However, short a massive kinetic impact, I can’t see what would obliterate a satellite so completely.

Not trying to rumor-monger, but, well... there have been rumors about certain nations building "battle sattelites". Might have been a test run of something. XD

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risinson18@reddit

Literally this year the secretary of defense said that Russia had something in space we shouldn’t worry about. Russian satellite weapon

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victor4700@reddit

Are the nations in the room with us right now? (Plot twist it’s NHI)

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Naive-Background7461@reddit

Just finished season 2 of invasion on apple TV 💀🤣

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Impossible_Nature_63@reddit

Hydrazine is definitely not inert. It can explosively decompose and is fairly reactive. The whole reason it gets used as a fuel is because it can decompose to H2 and N2 gas without oxygen.

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NonEuclidianMeatloaf@reddit

Inert in vacuum, I meant. Thanks for clarifying.

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Impossible_Nature_63@reddit

I guess it depends on your definition of inert. Typically if something can undergo a chemical reaction it’s not considered inert. Decomposition is still a chemical reaction.

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NonEuclidianMeatloaf@reddit

Technically correct (the best kind of correct?). My meaning was that monopropellants are easier to scale to small sizes and specific impulses, and don’t have nearly the same danger as keeping two tanks of hypergolic fluids side by side.

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digitallyduddedout@reddit

According to some background articles I read, it appears this class of satellite uses a bipropellant system using hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide. If something happened, this system could cause rapid unscheduled disassembly of the satellite.

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2quickdraw@reddit

Satellite killers?

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kalitarios@reddit

"gAy JeWiSh SpAcE lAsErS"

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Ciardha-O-Laighin@reddit

Or devious. It's not like Boeing doesn't have competition or even enemies. It might have had something to do with the conflicts overseas. That's where the satellite served.

Personally, I'm stocking up.

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HammerNSongs@reddit

They do carry fuel for propulsion, to give gentle nudges every now and then to make up for the (tiny) drag force from the barely-existent atmosphere at low-earth orbit. Once the fuel runs out, the satellite will spiral down into the atmosphere until the friction burns it up.

Though whether something failed and the fuel exploded all at once, or it just hit some space junk, I can only guess.

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paranoiccritic@reddit

not an expert, but I though that space debris and other celestial objects can travel at incredibly high speeds - would not an impact of something big enough at the right speed have catastrophic effect?

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bo-monster@reddit

Look at the orbits. Space debris, ASATs and “battle satellites” are all concerns at LEO. Intelsats operate in geostationary orbits. While some nations may claim to have ASAT capability at geostationary orbits, I don’t think anyone has actually demonstrated a capability like that.

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link_dead@reddit

Debris clouds work differently in LEO and GEO. Debris in LEO has much higher differences in velocity at different altitudes and is generally unstable. Also, you would only have to deal with debris in LEO for a few decades. Debris in GEO is there forever until someone can manually remove it or push it into space.

Also, GEO is highly valuable and regulated; any country dicking around up there risks pissing off The International Telecommunication Union and seriously harming any potential to deploy into prime GEO slots for your country's satcom infrastructure.

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Dry_Catch7310@reddit

My theory is that someone in the musk camp has been sabotaging Boeing in order to take over their market share. I think this is also an attempt to take over space and telecom communications both on earth and in space. Maybe this should go under MMW.

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Important-Product210@reddit

More likely just an unfortunate event or a human error. Unless there is something pointing elsewhere?

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MellowVenus@reddit

My theory is that finance people took over the management of an engineering company, and stopped listening to engineers.

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Careless_Donkey_6644@reddit

This isn't conspiracy sub, boss

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DirectorBiggs@reddit

Boeing is a rapidly sinking ship. This is awful and nutty and could be really bad.

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Sluzhbenik@reddit

I think an aeronautical metaphor would be more fitting.

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Shitty_YourMom_Puns@reddit

Wasn't aware "going down like your mom" was aeronautically accepted, but I like it.

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AntiGravityBacon@reddit

A blimp that size would never go down!

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Gretschish@reddit

Nonsense! They just need a murder a few whistleblowers and the company will be back on track 😎👍

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humpslot@reddit

the preferred term is "Whistleblower Suicide Team"

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WillBottomForBanana@reddit

Which oddly is a department inside HR.

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humpslot@reddit

Human Redactions?

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DivaDragon@reddit

That's my new band name

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stan-dupp@reddit

The Clinton's are major stockholders in Boeing

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InsectDiligent3226@reddit

Plus a couple billion dollars and everything will be back on track!

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Troll_of_Fortune@reddit

At this point, I’m starting to think sabotage could be at play. Boeing has been this business for too long to start having this many snowballs of issues. It’s just not looking like a coincidence anymore.

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Pontiacsentinel@reddit

The bean counters took over and the engineers no longer run the place. This is what happens.

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abruty@reddit

Was there another whistleblower who was on top of the satellite when it blew up?

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ILikeCoffeeNTrees@reddit

I’m not going to get into it, but for you people that done understand why this is in this sub, I highly suggest you do some research about this satellite, the system it’s used for, and WHO it’s used for. This can’t be some mistake. This has to be intentional.

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VRTester_THX1138@reddit

You going to make everyone do a scavenger hunt or would you be interested in providing a summary?

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Throwaway_accound69@reddit

Why is it, whenever some random piece of consumer equipment starts to explode, we learn it was somehow connected to Boeing

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VRTester_THX1138@reddit

Are you sure you know what "consumer equipment" means?

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melympia@reddit

Oh. I didn't know that satellites fall under "random piece of consumer equipment".

I'm feeling ignorant now.

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Fine_Peace_7936@reddit

You don't have your own satellite in orbit?

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ShadyClouds@reddit

And the people who built it are demanding more money?

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gwhh@reddit

How often do satellites just blow up in space?

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Flat_Boysenberry1669@reddit

Uhhh how is this prepper Intel lol?

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Infamous-Object-2026@reddit

JIC things start falling from the sky. you may wanna start looking up as a habit cause boeing has a lot of rich people toys in orbit over our heads.

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Flat_Boysenberry1669@reddit

Things are always falling from the sky lol.

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Infamous-Object-2026@reddit

so two things are true:

anyone can be standing in the wrong place at the wrong time.
if you can retrieve it, you might be able to sell/barter/hold it for ransom

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Flat_Boysenberry1669@reddit

Do you know how many space objects crash in to earth everyday lol?

Idk what the 2nd part even relates too lol.

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BeYeCursed100Fold@reddit

Maybe read the article...

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Flat_Boysenberry1669@reddit

I did this isn't gonna affect anyone.

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ProstheTec@reddit (OP)

I thought that communication being interrupted on 3 continents was something this community would consider relevant.

Is it not?

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Flat_Boysenberry1669@reddit

It's a single satellite lol what communications did it disrupt?

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ProstheTec@reddit (OP)

Intelsat confirmed the “total loss” of the satellite, which has disrupted services for customers across Europe, Africa, and parts of the Asia-Pacific region.

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Flat_Boysenberry1669@reddit

Like what 4 people lol?

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There_Are_No_Gods@reddit

This particular incident seems like it's not likely to have widespread ramifications, but keeping an eye on new orbital debris is important for reasons such as Kessler Syndrome.

The big danger there is that things can quickly snowball from debris hitting other satellites which the also break apart with their debris hitting many more satellites, eventually turning a large orbital region into somewhat of a man-made asteroid belt. It can theoretically make a rather impenetrable layer around a planet through which it's too dangerous to navigate due to the very high likelihood of a major collision with all that debris.

If such a scenario were to play out, it would have immediate and major effects planet wide, in addition to the sudden loss of all those currently orbiting satellites.

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pekepeeps@reddit

I’m surprised we do not see more colliding objects flung around. My last look up online at space debris was pretty awful.

Is there any plan to collect it all from the creators of the space junk? I would like to know if you know

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ProstheTec@reddit (OP)

SpaceX has discussed it, they also designed their satellites to come down and burn up on re-entry. I don't know much beyond that.

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