Abstract:
This work presents a comprehensive framework for achieving informed and actionable Space Situational Awareness (SSA) through cooperative data sharing among satellite operators. Using the Space Data Association (SDA) and its Space Data Center (SDC) as the central case study, the paper demonstrates how authoritative owner-operator ephemerides, maneuver plans, and radio frequency data significantly improve conjunction assessment and radio frequency interference mitigation. The framework highlights systemic limitations of public two-line element data, including cross-tagging, missed maneuvers, and degraded positional accuracy, which directly undermine collision avoidance decision-making. A collaborative data fusion approach is proposed in which operator-provided data for active satellites is combined with radar and optical observations for debris and non-cooperative objects. The study further details automated workflows for conjunction assessment, RFI geolocation, and carrier identification that reduce false alarms, shorten response timelines, and preserve data confidentiality through legal and technical controls. The results indicate that no single data source is sufficient for actionable SSA and that sustained cooperation, standardized data practices, and secure information-sharing infrastructures are essential to maintaining safety of flight and long-term orbital sustainability.
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Smith, S. and Oltrogge, D., “Framework for Informed and Actionable SSA,” Improving Space Operations Workshop, San Antonio, TX, 30 April 2013, accessible at https://comspoc.com/Resources/Content/Private/C-20220424T063954/Presentation/20130430_SDA_Framework%20for%20Informed%20and%20Actionable%20SSA.pdf.
