Galaxy 15 Successfully Rebooted

By Doug Lung
published


If you've been following the exploits of the rogue, out-of-control satellite Galaxy 15 as it drifted east past other satellites in the geostationary arc, you'll be interested to know that in mid-December the satellite's batteries drained sufficiently to shut down 95 percent of its electrical payload. On Dec. 23, the batteries completely drained, causing the satellite to "reboot" after its solar panels drifted back to facing the sun. This has allowed ground controllers to regain control.

The communications payload, except for telemetry and command, has been shut down and the batteries are being fully recharged. Intelsat is running diagnostic tests on the satellite to see if it can be returned to service.

Additional details are available in the SpaceNews.com article Threat from Wayward Intelsat Satellite Diminishes by Peter B. de Selding and Rogue TV satellite brought to heel after auto reboot – Wanderings, random shoutings ended by flat batteries in Bill Ray's article in the Register.

Doug Lung
Doug Lung

Doug Lung is one of America's foremost authorities on broadcast RF technology. As vice president of Broadcast Technology for NBCUniversal Local, H. Douglas Lung leads NBC and Telemundo-owned stations’ RF and transmission affairs, including microwave, radars, satellite uplinks, and FCC technical filings. Beginning his career in 1976 at KSCI in Los Angeles, Lung has nearly 50 years of experience in broadcast television engineering. Beginning in 1985, he led the engineering department for what was to become the Telemundo network and station group, assisting in the design, construction and installation of the company’s broadcast and cable facilities. Other projects include work on the launch of Hawaii’s first UHF TV station, the rollout and testing of the ATSC mobile-handheld standard, and software development related to the incentive auction TV spectrum repack.
A longtime columnist for TV Technology, Doug is also a regular contributor to IEEE Broadcast Technology. He is the recipient of the 2023 NAB Television Engineering Award. He also received a Tech Leadership Award from TV Tech publisher Future plc in 2021 and is a member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the Society of Broadcast Engineers.