Posted: Wed, May 4, 2011, 7:31 AM ET (1131 GMT)
A new Intelsat communications satellite launched last month is experiencing a problem deploying one of its antennas, the company announced Tuesday. Orbital Sciences Corporation, the manufacturer of the Intelsat New Dawn spacecraft, reported that it carried out the procedure to deploy the spacecraft's C-band reflector. While telemetry confirmed that the reflector deployed properly, other spacecraft data indicated otherwise. Engineers are planning a series of steps to try and free the stuck reflector, including shaking the satellite and exposing the reflector to temperature changes. Intelsat said it would delay plays to deploy the spacecraft's other reflector, which uses Ku-band frequencies, until the C-band reflector deployment is resolved. The rest of the spacecraft is operating normally. Intelsat New Dawn, a join venture of Intelsat and South African investors, was launched last month and is currently located in a test location in GEO before moving to its final location at 32.8 degrees east.
