Space Data Association: SDA and U.S. Department of Defense Sign Space Situational Awareness Agreement

ISLE OF MAN--( BUSINESS WIRE )--The Space Data Association (SDA), established by satellite operators to improve the safety and efficiency of space operations, today announced that the United States Department of Defense (U.S. DoD) has signed an agreement with the SDA to participate in the DoD’s Space Situational Awareness Data Sharing Program, the first such agreement with a non-satellite operator.

“SDA will continue to collaborate with and seek participation by other governmental, commercial, and intergovernmental stakeholders as we promote safe and responsible operations and preservation of the space environment.”

The United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) is responsible for administering the SSA Data Sharing Program, which is intended to increase the safety, security, and sustainability of the space domain by enhancing space situational awareness through a series of basic and advanced services including anomaly resolution, collision avoidance, conjunction assessment, end of life disposal, deorbit and re-entry planning support, launch support, and EMI investigation. Under the agreement, the U.S. DoD and SDA will now be able to formally collaborate on matters concerning space situational awareness, including mitigation of electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radiofrequency interference (RFI).

The SDA seeks the participation of all satellite operators globally and the agreement with the U.S. DoD represents a critical milestone for SDA, and acknowledgement by a preeminent space situational awareness provider that collaboration can enhance space situational awareness, flight safety, and operational practices for all.

SDA Chairman, Ron Busch said, “This agreement represents a major milestone in space situational awareness, creating a framework to exchange data; the benefit is that critical analyses will be far more robust, improving our knowledge of the space operational environment. Our announcement with US STRATCOM builds on our longstanding informal cooperation. The agreement demonstrates that even the most advanced government space operators recognize SDA’s ability to provide important and valuable services to manage operational risk, including performing conjunction assessments and activities to mitigate electromagnetic interference (EMI).”

Busch continued, “SDA will continue to collaborate with and seek participation by other governmental, commercial, and intergovernmental stakeholders as we promote safe and responsible operations and preservation of the space environment.”

The Space Data Association Limited (SDA) is a non-profit international association of satellite operators that supports the controlled, reliable and efficient sharing of data critical to the safety and integrity of the space environment and the RF spectrum. It maintains the Space Data Center, a database of high-accuracy orbital information, which is operated by Analytical Graphics, Inc. (AGI) of Exton, PA. Established in the Isle of Man, its executive members are Eutelsat, Inmarsat, Intelsat and SES. The SDA is open to all satellite operators and other participants. Membership information can be found at www.space-data.org .