Eutelsat will join the existing executive members Inmarsat, Intelsat and SES that sit on the board of the non-profit entity managing its activities in support of the space industry. The SDA’s membership also includes Avanti, Echostar, GeoEye, Paradigm, SS/L and StarOne.

   “In order to deliver the best service to our overall community of users, it is clearly in the interests of satellite operators to pool our resources and further improve space situational awareness. 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,” Eutelsat CTO David Bair said in a statement.

   The SDA operates the Space Data Center, the satellite industry’s global operator-led network for sharing high-accuracy operational data to improve overall space situational awareness and satellite operations.