In mid-2019, ESA determined that the UV laser was losing power: it started with pulses of 65 millijoules once it reached orbit, but that energy declined 20 to 30 percent in the first nine months, and was losing one millijoule per week in May. ESA then decided to switch to a backup laser that had not been used, offering the opportunity to complete the expected 3 year life of the satellite. The report also said that the satellite’s orbit at 320 km required re-boosting every week, limiting the satellite's life to the available propellant.