Space Data Association and USSTRATCOM Reach Data Sharing Agreement

The Space Data Association (SDA) has reached a data sharing agreement with U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) to enhance space situational awareness.  SDA’s members include several of the world’s major commercial satellite operators who share certain data with each other to avoid in-orbit collisions.  USSTRATCOM is the first non-satellite operator to sign an agreement with the group.

SDA was founded by three of the largest commercial communications satellite operators — Intelsat, Inmarsat and SES — after the 2009 collision between an operating Iridium communications satellite (Iridium 33) and a defunct Russian military communications satellite (Cosmos 2251).  The collision added to the population of space debris in low Earth orbit, which had increased significantly two years earlier following a Chinese antisatellite (ASAT) test that created about 3,000 pieces of debris. 

The Chinese ASAT test and the Iridium-Cosmos collision raised the profile of the problems posed by space debris and the need for countries and companies to work together to ensure that Earth orbit will remain usable in the future.  Space Situational Awareness (SSA) refers to the goal of knowing where everything is in Earth orbit and where it’s going. (Some definitions add the goal of knowing what each satellite is doing).  It is one element of President Obama’s 2010 National Space Policy. 

SDA created a mechanism for its members to share data on the locations of their satellites and any plans to reposition them that avoids revealing sensitive information yet contributes to SSA and the broader goal of “space sustainability.”   For several years it has been seeking agreement with the Department of Defense to access data from the Joint Space Operations Center (JSPoC), which tracks objects in Earth orbit for the U.S. government, predicts when they will decay from orbit, and conducts “conjunction analyses” to determine if a collision is likely.  JSPoC is part of the Joint Functional Component Command for Space (JFCC Space) under USSTRATCOM.  It is currently tracking more than 17,000 objects in Earth orbit of which approximately 4,000 are functioning payloads or satellites, 2,000 are rocket bodies, and 11,000 are debris/inactive satellites according to its space-track.org website.  

In addition to concern about physical collisions between space objects, there is growing concern about electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radiofrequency interference (RFI), particularly intentional jamming of satellite frequencies by countries that object to certain programming or otherwise choose to interfere with the transmissions.

SDA called the agreement a “critical milestone” that allows the two organizations to formally collaborate on SSA issues including EMI and RFI.  The agreement creates “a framework to exchange data,” SDA President Ron Busch said in an August 8 press release, and is an acknowledgment by USSTRATCOM that “collaboration can enhance” SSA.

The Secure World Foundation (SWF) is a champion of SSA and space sustainability.  Brian Weeden, SWF’s technical advisor and a former Air Force officer who worked at JSPoC, said via email that “This agreement could be a major step forward, but as always the devil is in the details and right now we don’t have many details.”  

SDA announced the agreement in a press release; USSTRATCOM does not appear to have made a public announcement.