[SatNews] Originally launched on October 13, 2005, on a European Ariane rocket, Intelsat's Galaxy 15 satellite was designed to operate through 2020.

Manufacturers of the satellite, Orbital Sciences Corporation, suspected an intense solar storm in April of 2010 for the satellite's inoperability when all contact with flight control was lost. For the next eight months, signals continued being broadcast, which was news of the interruptive kind for any other satellites that happened upon Galaxy 15. Attempts by owner Intelsat to shut down the satellite were unsuccessful and they assisted other satellite service providers and broadcasters with data to help all avoid signal interference. Then, on December 23rd, the Galaxy 15's battery became totally drained and the satellite reset itself — and it became amenable to Intelsat control center commands. With the recovery completion, and satellite drift halted, in-orbit testing will determine the satellite's functionality once it is reset to its original orbital slot. The satellite's safe mode has also been initiated.