A communications satellite designed and built by embattled aerospace giant Boeing has broken up in orbit.
The satellite's operator, Intelsat, confirmed the “total loss” of the iS-33e, which affected customers in Europe, Africa and parts of the Asia-Pacific region.
Intelsat also says it has taken steps to conduct “a comprehensive analysis” of the incident.
Boeing is facing crises on multiple fronts, with a strike in its commercial aircraft business and problems with its Starliner spacecraft.
“We are working in coordination with the satellite manufacturer, Boeing, and government agencies to analyze the data and observations,” Intelsat said.
Boeing has not commented directly on the incident, referring BBC News to Intelsat's statements.
The US Department of Defense's space tracking website, SpaceTrack, also confirmed the incident.
An alert on the platform said the US Space Force also said it was “currently tracking approximately 20 associated parts” of the satellite.
Separately, two astronauts found themselves stranded at the International Space Station (ISS) after the Boeing Starliner capsule on which they arrived in June was deemed unfit for the return flight.
They are expected to return to Earth aboard a spacecraft made by Elon Musk's SpaceX next year.
Since last month, Boeing has also been facing a strike involving more than 30,000 workers at its commercial aircraft manufacturing plant.
Union members are expected to vote Wednesday on the company's latest offer.
The new offer includes a 35% salary increase over the next four years.
Last week, Boeing announced it was seeking up to $35bn (£27bn) in new funding. The group also announced it would begin laying off 17,000 employees, or around 10% of its workforce, starting in November.
In July, Boeing agreed to plead guilty to a criminal fraud conspiracy charge and pay at least $243.6 million after breaking a 2021 deferred prosecution agreement.
The deal involved two 737-MAX planes that were lost in nearly identical crashes that claimed 346 lives more than five years ago.
