LONDON — A TV communications satellite is drifting out of control thousands of miles above the Earth, threatening to wander into another satellite’s orbit and interfere with cable programming across the U.S. near the end of the month, the satellites’ owners said Tuesday.
Communications company Intelsat said it lost control of the Galaxy 15 satellite, possibly because the satellite’s systems were knocked out by a solar storm. Intelsat cannot remotely steer the satellite, so Galaxy 15 is creeping toward the adjacent path of another TV communications satellite, known as AMC 11, that serves U.S. cable companies.
The signals will probably overlap if Galaxy 15 drifts into its orbit as expected about May 23, according to the satellite companies.
A spokesman for the owner of AMC 11 would not name cable television channels or providers that could be affected or say how long the interference could last.
The spokesman said the company was exploring options to prevent interference.
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