Electric propulsion failure

Electric propulsion failure refers to a complete or partial failure of the ion or electric propulsion system that keeps a satellite on station and manages its orbital changes. Unlike an explosion or a collision, this failure is often progressive: a leaking valve, a degrading cathode or a loss of redundancy can reduce maneuvering capability without causing an immediate loss, while sharply shortening the satellite's planned operational life. The growing adoption of electric propulsion, lighter and more fuel-efficient than traditional chemical propulsion but less proven technologically over the long run, has made it a particular point of concern for insurers and operators across several manufacturers in recent years. The resulting claim is rarely settled as an immediate total loss: it is most often a partial loss tied to the reduction in useful life, whose calculation requires modeling the satellite's degradation trajectory rather than pointing to a single dated event. A defect identified in one component can also affect several satellites of the same technical family, raising an accumulation risk organized around a product line rather than a launch batch.

Between 2017 and 2019, several all-electric Boeing 702SP-family satellites, including ABS-2A and Eutelsat 115 West B, suffered leaks in their propulsion systems, shortening their useful life and triggering partial-loss settlements rather than total-loss claims.

electric propulsion failure, panne moteur ionique, thruster failure, défaut de vanne de propulsion