As Satellite News was heading to print Dec. 10, Intelsat announced that it has delayed the launch of its Intelsat Americas-8 (IA-8). The launch by Sea Launch LLC was originally scheduled for Dec. 17.

In a prepared statement, Intelsat CEO Conny Kullman said “In order to continue upholding the highest standards in satellite operations and in the interest of providing the best possible service for our customers, we have decided to delay the IA-8 launch until we receive the results of the IA-7 (Intelsat Americas-7) anomaly investigation.” No target date was given as to when the investigation might be completed.

IA-7 experienced a sudden and unexpected electrical distribution anomaly on Nov. 28, causing the satellite temporarily to go dark (SN, Dec. 6). As of Dec. 10, Intelsat said 22 of IA-7’s transponders are available.

Intelsat offered no new update on its pending acquisition by Zeus Holdings Ltd., the terms of which could be altered or canceled due to the IA-7 anomaly and IA-8 launch delay. The company said Zeus continues to evaluate the extent to which the anomaly and delay could impact the pending acquisition.