The so-called Galaxy 15 zombie satellite that lost contact with ground controllers on Earth in April is still adrift in space, with engineers keeping a close eye on the wayward satellite as it approaches two other spacecraft this month.
The Galaxy 15 satellite is currently drifting along a stable and predictable path, according to its communications satellite fleet operator Intelsat. The main focus now is preventing Galaxy 15 from interfering with other nearby satellites, including two of Intelsat's own, though no collisions are expected.
"The overall goal is to minimize disruption," Steve Good, Intelsat's global director of customer solutions engineering, told SPACE.com. "It's in all of our best interests to minimize any disruption."
The company is preparing several techniques to mitigate potential signal interference as Galaxy 15 is set to fly by two other Intelsat satellites this month: Galaxy 13 and Galaxy 14.
The 4,171-pound Galaxy 15 satellite went rogue on April 5, when it stopped responding to controllers on the ground.
Yet, while the satellite veered from its assigned orbital slot of 133 degrees west longitude, 36,000 kilometers over the equator, the "zombie satellite" maintained an active payload, with its C-band telecommunications still functioning.
Interference from Galaxy 15's stuck-on signal is the main concern, since the chance of it actually crashing into other satellites is remote to non-existent, Intelsat officials have said.
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