Data from two space innovation companies is now being shared with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for their “out-of-this-world” flights.
Virgin Galactic and Sierra Space vehicles’ flight data will now be tracked by the agency in near-real time during their launch and reentry operations.
That telemetry data – like position, altitude and speed – will be sent to the FAA’s Space Data Integrator (SDI) tool, which provides improved situational awareness and helps the FAA safely and efficiently manage air traffic during space operations.
“The United States has one of the most complex airspaces in the world, with everything from drones to commercial and general aviation to space launches,” said Tim Arel, Chief Operating Officer of the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization. “The coordination of all that aircraft is improved with more data. We’ve made significant progress in reducing how long airspace is closed for space operations, and the SDI tool is the foundation for future improvements to drive it down even more while also ensuring safety.”
The SDI tool allows the agency to reopen airspace “as quickly as three minutes after a launch or reentry vehicle travels through a designated aircraft hazard area” as well as track anomalies if they occur.
FAA states about 70% of commercial space operations in U.S. airspace have shared SDI data with the group since the tool became operational in 2021.
To learn more about how the FAA’s space operations, click here.
