Satellite fleet operator Eutelsat of Paris has joined the Space Data Association (SDA) as an executive member, becoming the ninth satellite fleet operator to take part in the Isle of Man-based association’s work to reduce satellite interference by pooling data of satellite locations, Eutelsat and the association announced June 29.
The addition of Eutelsat — which is the world’s third-largest operator of fixed satellite telecommunications services — means that three of the top four fixed satellite services fleet owners are now SDA members. Intelsat and SES, both headquartered in Luxembourg, are founding members, along with mobile satellite services operator Inmarsat of London.
Among the four top fixed satellite services providers, only Telesat of Canada is not yet a member of the nonprofit organization.
“[I]t is clearly in the interests of satellite operators to pool our resources and further improve space situational awareness,” Eutelsat Chief Technical Officer David Bair said in a June 29 statement. “We are delighted to join the SDA in this spirit, to bring our experience to the table and to collaborate on improving the safety and efficiency of satellite operations.”
Other SDA satellite operator members include Avanti and Paradigm Secure Communications, both of Britain; EchoStar and GeoEye of the United States; and Star One of Brazil.
SDA provides notice to operators about nearby orbital debris threats, and also provides a forum in which members are able to share data to avoid and, when needed, locate radio-frequency interference, most of which is due to the accidental misuse of ground antennas.
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