News 'Zombie' satellite prompts orbital waltz: Galaxy-15 : AMC-11

[Notebook]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/science_and_environment/10150614.stm

Two spacecraft are about to begin an unusual orbital dance above the Pacific Ocean to try to evade the interference from a third, failed satellite.

N.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

BBC News'/Jonathan Amos' “Spaceman” blog: "'Zombie-sat' and the clever orbital dance".

 

[garyw]

This got me:

Although Intelsat cannot talk to Galaxy-15, its electronics payload remains fully functional, and it is capable of re-transmitting on full power any signal it receives.
This means that if Galaxy-15 were to get too close to other telecommunications spacecraft, it could start re-transmitting their signals and seriously interfering with their services.

I thought it was just a dead satellite but obvious not. Too bad a neighbouring sat can't transmit a "shut up" command to it.

 

[SiberianTiger]

Does anyone knows, please:

* What is that navigational function that the Galaxy-15 performed?
* How far is from 133 W to the nearest GEO sweetspot and how far the sat can swing by it?
* How many satellites are possibly affected and why it couldn't be countered with electronic measures alone (like shifting the carrier band or such)?

And... together with other bad news, this is showing a pattern. Next up, Wormwood Star will fall down on Earth and poison one third of the rivers and the creeks. :blink:

 

[Urwumpe]

PanAmSat-xxxx/Galaxy-15 on 133W was one of the two WAAS satellites augmenting the GPS over northern America.

 

[Notebook]

Must point this out to a friend of mine, who is a "radio ham"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_radio_repeater

Could be his big day!

N.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Space News: "Intelsat's Runaway Satellite Continues to Pose Interference Threat".

 

[Notebook]

Its Back!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12187603

Can't keep a good sat down.

N.

 

[orb]

Aviation Week: Errant Satellite To Be Back In Business Soon.