SDA welcomes Brian Swinburne to serve second term on SDA Board of Directors and re-elects Erika Rossetto

The Space Data Association has appointed Brian Swinburne, Space Surveillance and Intelligence Manager at Airbus Defence and Space as a Standard Member Director. Erika Rossetto, Flight Dynamics Manager at Embratel Star One was also re-elected Standard Member Director for her third term.

This will be the third term that Brian has held with the SDA Board having previously represented Airbus Defence and Space from 2017 to 2021. He succeeds Lorenzo Arona, who has held two terms with SDA from 2019 to 2021 and 2023 to 2025.

Brian has extensive experience in a broad spectrum of space engineering disciplines having spent over 30 years working on civil, commercial and military applications. He has interfaced with all levels across the project lifecycle and is a fully qualified Flight Dynamics, Operations and Software engineer. Brian is currently responsible for all Airbus Defence and Space UK Military Space Operational Flight Dynamics, Space Situational Awareness and Space Domain Awareness activities and is also the nominated Airbus Group Senior Expert in SSA.

Erika is responsible for station keeping activities at Embratel Star One, including all aspects of Space Situational Awareness (SSA). She has been very active within SDA, using her experience to inform her Directorship. Erika has extensive knowledge of flight dynamics and has led the Flight Dynamics team for 15 years.

The Space Data Association (SDA) is an international organization that brings together satellite operators to support the controlled, reliable, and efficient sharing of data critical to the safety and integrity of the space environment. Its Space Data Centre (SDC) is a platform that ingests flight dynamics information from the member companies as well as other available sources of space object information to provide conjunction assessment and warning services. Utilising a machine to machine interface, the SDC is an extremely effective and highly secure mechanism for the sharing of operational data. The SDC is continuously available due to its distributed, multiple-redundant and high-availability architecture.

Brian commented: “I feel privileged to be able to reprise my role on the Board of SDA and to hopefully play a key role in addressing the current challenges that we face as an industry in terms of SSA, STM and also space debris. We are united by the common aim to improve the space environment so that we can continue to use space safely and respectfully both today and in the future.”

Erika said: “I am honoured to be elected to the position of Director at SDA for a third time. The SDA does critical work in terms of creating a robust data sharing service through the Space Data Centre and also heightening awareness of the importance of space situational awareness. I look forward to continuing to contribute to this integral association and to tackling the issues that affect our industry today.”

Joe Chan, Director, Flight Dynamics, Intelsat, continues to serve as chairman. He noted on the appointment: “We are thrilled to welcome Brian and Erika back as a Standard Member representatives on the SDA Board of Directors. I look forward to their contribution and to taking advantage of their wealth of knowledge of all things SSA. I would also like to take this opportunity to thanks Lorenzo Arona for his tireless work, experience and enthusiasm that he has brought to his role over his last two terms as Standard Member Director. We wish him the very best of luck for the future.”