The Federal Aviation Administration announced that it will receive space vehicle launch and reentry flight data from Virgin Galactic and Sierra Space through the Space Data Integrator platform.
FAA said Friday SDI is a tool that helps the agency safely manage air traffic during space operations and enhance situational awareness by receiving vehicle telemetry data from commercial space operators.
The two companies will join SpaceX in transmitting SDI data to the agency.
According to FAA, approximately 70 percent of commercial space operations in U.S. airspace have transmitted telemetry data to SDI since the platform’s launch in 2021.
“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,” said Timothy Arel, chief operating officer of the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization.
FAA noted that SDI enables the agency to respond to an anomaly and reopen airspace within three minutes following a launch or reentry mission.
