DirecTV races to decommission broken satellite before it explodes

Re:DirecTV races to decommission broken satellite before it ... by orclev on Friday January 24, 2020 @09:57AM (#22138780)

> A graveyard orbit sounds like it will be flying around up their indefinitely as high speed shrapnel. Does anyone know why they would choose this instead of destroying it on re-entry?

It sounds like there's confusion about that point. The article says that the plan says that they're going to de-orbit the satellite so it can burn up on reentry, and that it will be in a graveyard orbit, which are contradictory objectives to each other. It sounds like AT&T hasn't responded yet to clarify which of the two they actually meant.

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Re:DirecTV races to decommission broken satellite before it ... by zentiggr on Friday January 24, 2020 @12:47PM (#22140614)

I think in this case the use of 'de-orbit' only means removing it from its in-service geosynchronous orbit, to the graveyard orbit.

De-orbit down around usual LEO altitudes is more drag-effect, you will return to Earth soon enough anyway.

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