Posted: Sat, Jul 24, 2021, 4:19 PM ET (2019 GMT)
Malaysian operator Measat says it's maintained control of an aging communications satellite that has drifted out of its slot in geostationary orbit. Measat-3 has been drifting westward from its slot at 91.5 degrees east in GEO for nearly a month, raising concerns the company had lost control of the spacecraft. ExoAnalytic Solutions, a space tracking company, first detected a problem June 21, and noted it appeared to be tumbling. Measat said July 17 it has maintained continuous telemetry and command control, and deactivated the spacecraft's transponders to avoid causing interference. The Boeing-built satellite launched in 2006, and Measat ordered a replacement satellite, Measat-3d, in 2019.

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