A bad string of luck in GEO

[Armitage]

Intelsat Americas-7, lost 28 Nov (partially recovered)
Intelsat 804, lost 14 Jan
JCSAT 5, lost 17 Jan

 

[Doggiedog]

Solar flares?

As for that JCSAT 5 satellite, I want to know what a "buck-up" satellite is.

 

[lobadobadingdong]

wow, it looks like they where lost to thruster control problems, sucks to be them right now.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

It's the aliens, they are tapping into them.

 

[Armitage]

There was some space weather activity recently that might have contributed to the JCSAT failure (http://www.sec.noaa.gov/today.html). Tough to say though - correlation != causation and all that.

Buck Up (last 2 def's) - so I guess it's another satellite that hangs around for moral support

 

[Armitage]

Just took a closer look at that space weather - JCSAT 5 failed right about at the peak of it.

 

[Doggiedog]

Coincidence?