U.s. Air Force Declined To Help Intelsat With Satellite Maneuver

摘要

Satellite fleet operator Intelsat has asked the U.S. Air Force to clarify its policy governing the provision of space-surveillance data to non-U.S. government entities following an incident in which the company says it was denied information it needed to execute a planned maneuver of one of its satellites.rnIn a letter to senior U.S. Air Force officers, Intelsat Chief Executive David McGlade said the company was uncertain of whether to go through with the maneuver of its IS 709 satellite because its internal analyses predicted a "potential conjunction" with the Russian Raduga 1-7 satellite. A copy of the undated letter, addressed to Air Force Gens. Kevin Chilton and Robert Kehler, commanders of U.S. Strategic Command and Air Force Space Command, respectively, was obtained by Space News.