After an unpredictable year, 2021 saw a welcome return to some routine within the satcom industry with launches continuing and ongoing discussions surrounding Space Traffic Management. We have also seen a significant amount of transformation in the last 12 months: we’ve seen changes in-orbit, at the ground and in terms of acquisitions and mergers. Here is an overview of some of the SDA’s most notable moments of 2021.
- The SDA appointed new Standard Member and Executive Directors
At the SDA Members Meeting, Embratel StarOne’s Erika Rosetto and Viasat’s Tobias Nassif were appointed as SDA Standard Member Directors. Rosetto has extensive knowledge within flight dynamics and has led Embratel StarOne’s Flight Dynamics team for over 10 years. Viasat’s Nassif brings over 25 years of experience within satellite operations management, including the deployment and management of mission critical support systems. More recently, Intelsat’s Joe Chan took over the role of Executive Director from his colleague Jean-Luc Froeliger.
- The brilliant T.S Kelso retired as SDC Operations Manager
Instrumental in the founding of the SDA and its SDC (Space Data Center), Dr Kelso is recognised as an industry leader within the field of Space Situational Awareness. To mark his illustrious career, the SDA launched the T.S Kelso Award for Space Safety, named after its inaugural recipient. We wish him all the best wishes for his retirement.
- The importance of Space Traffic Management was witnessed first-hand
In March of this year, we saw that a Chinese military satellite was damaged in-orbit. At the time, more than 20 pieces of debris were identified by the 18th Space Control Squadron of the United States Space Force as being associated with this incident. Months later it was announced that it’s highly probable that debris left over from a Russian rocket launch in 1996 collided with the Chinese satellite, causing it significant damage. This event reiterates the SDA’s calls for the advancement of Space Traffic Management systems.
- The SDA worked alongside COMPSOC to review data fusion tools for Space Traffic Coordination and Management
After extensive testing and statistical assessments of predictive positional accuracy for seventeen spacecraft spanning LEO, MEO, and GEO orbit regimes, the team found that fusing government, commercial, and satellite operator data with advanced data processing techniques is essential to reach the predictive positional accuracy required by the collision avoidance criteria generally used by Satellite Operators as well as to enable comprehensive, timely, and accurate collision avoidance services for all satellite operators. It is clear that industry-wide cooperation and data exchange as promoted by the SDA and implemented through its SDC remain at the centre of plight to improve operational safety within space.
As we look ahead to 2022, we would like to you wish you a Happy New Year from us all at the SDA. Happy Holidays!