That zombie satellite from Intelsat – AKA the Galaxy 15 which is drifting uncontrollably while still broadcasting – is causing a scramble among cable nets.
Having failed to respond to a last minute attempt to knock out its power, the Galaxy 15 is now moving into an orbital area where it could pose interference problems for SES World Skies' AMC-11 satellite. To help protect the many cable networks transmitted from the satellite, SES World Skies plans to move some customers to the new SES-1 which will be relocated to the opposite side of Galaxy 15.
The AMC-11 will be maneuvered to match the eastward drift of Galaxy 15 in order to maintain a minimum separation between the two satellites. Customers remaining on that satellite will have their programming delivered via a large 19-meter antenna capable of minimizing potential disruptions. SES World Skies estimates that the risk of interference will run from around May 25 to June 7.•