[Satellite Today 11-03-08] Intelsat retired its Marisat-F2 satellite on Oct. 29 after 32 years of providing maritime communications to the South Pole, the company announced Nov. 3.
    Marisat-F2, which was manufactured by Hughes and launched by Comsat General Corp. in 1976, was the oldest active communications satellite in space.
    Intelsat’s engineers said the Marisat-F2 originally had only a five-year design life and yet determined just recently that its support sub-systems were finally near the end of operating life.
    To prevent the satellite from drifting into the path of its other geo-synchronous satellites, Intelsat used the remaining fuel on Marisat-F2 to raise it approximately 125 miles to disposal altitude, out of the way of other geosynchronous communications satellites.
     The final assignment of Marisat-F2 had been to provide Internet service to research scientists stationed at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station.