Ekspress-AM11

The Ekspress-AM 11 is a communications satellite for russian domestic communication services. The lifetime of the spacecraft has been increased to 12 years. While the spacecraft itself is built by russian RSCC (Kosmicheskiya Svyaz), the communication payloads is built by Alcatel, in France. Ekspress AM-11 was hit on 28.03.2006 by either a micrometeorite or a piece of space debris, which lead to instantaneous depressurization of the thermal control system fluid circuit, followed by a sudden outburst of the heat-carrying agent. This resulted in a significant disturbing moment generation followed by the spacecraft orientation loss and rotation. After regaining control, the satellite was put into a graveyard orbit above GEO.