SDA picks GMV to build next-generation space safety system

TAMPA, Fla. — The Space Data Association (SDA) has picked Spanish technology provider GMV to upgrade and operate its global space traffic coordination platform starting early next year, the non-profit group of satellite operators announced Sept. 16.

The Space Safety Portal (SSP), which ingests flight dynamics information from SDA members and public sources to provide conjunction assessment and warning services, was created shortly after SDA’s founding in 2009.

The service is currently managed by U.S. space situational awareness (SSA) specialist ComSpOC, one of several companies that bid to deliver a next-generation system designed to better handle increasingly congested orbits and heightened collision risks.

SDA chairman Joe Chan said the upgrade comes at a critical time as the U.S. Traffic Coordination System for Space (TraCSS) faces budget cuts.

“Avoiding collisions which can cause long-lived, hazardous space debris is more important than ever given the increased utilization of space,” Chan said via email.

“SDA promotes development and adoption of publicly funded space traffic coordination systems but none are yet fully operational.”

Lowering SSA barriers

SDA positions itself as a low-barrier entry point for operators to engage in SSA. 

Operators must pay for an SDA membership to access its services and are required to share key data, including advanced maneuver information.

“It can be compared to the traffic code of conduct,” Chan said.

“It is only effective if all vehicles on the road follow the same rules. Similarly, just because the space orbital environment is getting crowded, it can still be safe if all operators follow and observe the same best practices.”

More than 700 satellites currently contribute data to the platform, according to Chan, including about half of all active spacecraft in geostationary orbit.

With many commercial space traffic management platforms emerging in recent years, Chan stressed that SDA’s operator-founded, non-profit structure offers a unique safeguard for sensitive data.

SDA ultimately aims to act as a data coordinator and an innovation hub that brings together all SSA providers.

“As a fully independent, non-commercial entity and as a permanent observer within UNOOSA (United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs), SDA can act as the facilitator/partner and fuse together information to fully achieve global Space Traffic Coordination,” he said.

“However, in order to do this, as an industry, we must share data! If we don’t, we will remain in the current status quo, where data is ultimately fragmented within different SSA systems. A unified approach will bring all relevant data into one central place where data can be vetted, converted into a common frame, fused and made available whenever it is required.” 

Next-generation capabilities

The upgraded SSP is set to introduce several new capabilities, including:

• Synthetic covariance generation to provide realistic collision probability assessments for operators that do not supply covariance data.
• Mitigation of challenges posed by non-cooperative operators that fail to share maneuver information.
• Open architecture designed to integrate data from both government and commercial providers, improving latency and reducing coverage gaps, particularly during anomalies or when satellites maneuver near active spacecraft.
• Enhanced cybersecurity and data protection to safeguard member data against cyberattacks and misuse.