Malaysian satellite operator Measat is unable to salvage the Measat-3 satellite after it suffered an anomaly on June 21. The company announced that it is now in the process of de-orbiting the satellite, which will take place over the next few weeks.
Measat is still investigating with Boeing Satellite Systems, the satellite’s builder. “Despite maintaining continuous telemetry and command control of Measat-3, further testing and recovery efforts found that the satellite could not re-enter service,” the operator said.
Measat-3, a Boeing 601 satellite, had provided satellite communication services for almost 15 years since its launch in December 2006. The spacecraft, manufactured by BSS, is equipped with C-band and Ku-band transponders that cover over 100 countries across Asia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Measat-3’s Ku-band customers included Encompass Digital Media, Himalaya TV High Definition, which is distributed across Nepal and the Asia Pacific, beIN Asia-Pacific, and several other regional broadcasters.
Airbus Defense and Space is building Measat’s replacement satellite, Measat-3d, based on the E3000 satellite platform.
Measat is currently finalising the launch date of Measat-3d for early 2022, which is expected to restore its in-orbit satellite redundancy at the company’s key orbital hotslot 91.5°E, providing direct-to-home (DTH), broadcasting and telecommunications services for the region, besides significantly enhancing the broadband speed of up to 100Mbps in areas with limited or without any terrestrial connectivity throughout Malaysia.
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