Safety of Spaceflight: Looking back at the past decade, looking ahead at the next five years

The Space Data Association (SDA) was one of the first efforts by industry to share space situational awareness (SSA) data and coordinate efforts to enhance safety of spaceflight. Its Space Data Center is 10 years old as of July 15, 2020. The Secure World Foundation hosted a webinar to highlight this decade-long successful collaborative effort and to talk about ways in which international partners, newspace actors, and other emerging space stakeholders are changing SSA needs and how SSA data sharing can help promote the long-term sustainability of space for all.

A keynote presentation "The Space Data Association: Ten Years of Flight Safety Services," was given by Pascal Wauthier, SES, who discussed how the organization was created and evolved over the past decade.

This was followed by a panel which examined safety of spaceflight policy gaps and challenges over the next five years. Participants discussed what is needed in space policy, SSA, and space traffic coordination and management regulations, norms, and international cooperative efforts in order to ensure safety of spaceflight and a predictable, stable space environment.

Moderator: Victoria Samson, Washington Office Director, SWF

Panelists:

• Mrunalini Deshpande, Researcher
• Mark Dickinson, Space Data Association Executive Director and Deputy CTO, VP Space Segment – Inmarsat
• Mark Mulholland, retired USAF and retired NOAA; currently a consultant to the Director, Office of Space Commerce
• Daniel L. Oltrogge, Space Safety Coalition and SDC Program Mgr.
• Regina Peldszus, Senior Policy Officer, DLR, and co-chair, EU SST

Event Materials 

• Download the slide deck 
• Download the event transcript
• Click here to view the video shown by Dan Oltrogge on 107,000 Planned Satellites by 2029

For more information, please contact SWF Washington Office Director Victoria Samson.