General Atomics

Babcock joins Space Data Association

The Space Data Association (SDA) has announced that defence company Babcock International Group has joined its membership.

Image courtesy SDA

Babcock delivers engineering, support and critical systems to defence and civil markets and is a leading provider of secure communications to the military. The Babcock led consortium of Team Aurora is responsible for managing and operating the UK Ministry of Defence’s military satellite communications system, Skynet, alongside partners SES, Intelsat and LuxGovSat.

The SDA brings satellite operators together to improve flight safety through sharing of operational data and promotion of best practices for space use. It is an international organisation that facilitates the controlled, reliable and efficient sharing of data critical to the safety and integrity of the space environment. SDA members include the world’s major satellite communications operators as well as remote sensing organisations.

Joe Chan, Chairman and Executive Director, SDA, said: “We’re delighted that Babcock is joining the SDA. We are aligned in our interests to ensure a controlled, reliable and efficient space environment, and Babcock’s move to become a member of the SDA will put us in a better position to achieve that aim.”

Neal Misell, CEO of Babcock’s Mission Systems business which operates and maintains the Skynet contract, said: “Babcock is committed to creating a safe and secure world by maintaining lines of defence and ensuring critical services and assets are readily available and future proofed. As a provider of secure communications for the UK military, maintaining a safe space environment is obviously critically important. Being a member of the SDA will help us maintain safety of the Skynet constellation of satellites and will help improve safety of the space environment for all civil and defence users.”

Related

From 66 aircraft to £62.9 billion: The extraordinary evolution of Farnborough International Airshow
Farnborough International Airshow
From 66 aircraft to £62.9 billion: The extraordinary evolution of Farnborough International Airshow
This week, Farnborough International Airshow celebrates 78 years since the first airshow took place. Here's how Farnborough has become a global marketplace for aerospace and defence... and what's next.
Aerospace Defence Space

8 Sep 2026

UK flights disrupted after NATS flight processing system failure
Heathrow Tower.
UK flights disrupted after NATS flight processing system failure
Departures from airports across the UK have been restricted after a technical problem struck the system used by NATS to process flights.
Aerospace

8 Sep 2026

CILT(UK) calls for coordinated UK airports strategy
Heathrow
CILT(UK) calls for coordinated UK airports strategy
In its response to the draft HENPS (Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement) consultation, the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in the UK (CILT UK) has called for the transformation that has taken place across UK aviation to be recognised with a policy fit for all UK airports, not just Heathrow.
Aerospace

7 Sep 2026

From 66 aircraft to £62.9 billion: The extraordinary evolution of Farnborough International Airshow
Farnborough International Airshow
From 66 aircraft to £62.9 billion: The extraordinary evolution of Farnborough International Airshow
This week, Farnborough International Airshow celebrates 78 years since the first airshow took place. Here's how Farnborough has become a global marketplace for aerospace and defence... and what's next.
Aerospace Defence Space

8 Sep 2026

UK military to practise mobilising 95,000 veterans for war
Soldiers on patrol
UK military to practise mobilising 95,000 veterans for war
The UK will test how quickly it can recall and equip former military personnel as the MoD prepares its 95,000-strong Strategic Reserve for a potential major conflict.
Defence

8 Sep 2026

MBDA opens Poland missile facility as UK defence partnership deepens
MBDA facility Czosnow, Poland
MBDA opens Poland missile facility as UK defence partnership deepens
In an initiative that supports the UK’s commitment to reinforcing NATO’s eastern flank by bolstering Polish air defences, a new facility built with British expertise has been opened in Poland.
From 66 aircraft to £62.9 billion: The extraordinary evolution of Farnborough International Airshow
Farnborough International Airshow
From 66 aircraft to £62.9 billion: The extraordinary evolution of Farnborough International Airshow
This week, Farnborough International Airshow celebrates 78 years since the first airshow took place. Here's how Farnborough has become a global marketplace for aerospace and defence... and what's next.
Aerospace Defence Space

8 Sep 2026

SaxaVord secures £60m funding to expand its launch capability
SaxaVord Spaceport, Shetland
SaxaVord secures £60m funding to expand its launch capability
Operating the only licensed vertical launch spaceport in the UK, SaxaVord is looking to advance its launch capability with fresh funding from the UK Government and private investors.
Space

8 Sep 2026

UK unveils £7.8bn space strategy as threats in orbit grow
View of the UK from the International Space Station.
UK unveils £7.8bn space strategy as threats in orbit grow
The UK will invest more than £3 billion in military space capabilities under a new £7.8 billion strategy covering defence, security and connectivity.
Defence Space

8 Sep 2026

MBDA opens Poland missile facility as UK defence partnership deepens
MBDA facility Czosnow, Poland
MBDA opens Poland missile facility as UK defence partnership deepens
In an initiative that supports the UK’s commitment to reinforcing NATO’s eastern flank by bolstering Polish air defences, a new facility built with British expertise has been opened in Poland.
Chess introduces AI-enabled Low SWaP CHARM50
Low-SWaP-CHARM50
Chess introduces AI-enabled Low SWaP CHARM50
Chess Dynamics has expanded its Vision4ce CHARM portfolio with the introduction of its Low SWaP CHARM50, a new compact AI-enabled edge video processing module which supports growing demand for smart sensors, distributed sensing architectures and low-SWaP ISR applications.
UK firms exposed by simulated attacks on satellites, subsea cables and financial infrastructure
Lockheed martin cybersecurity
UK firms exposed by simulated attacks on satellites, subsea cables and financial infrastructure
How a new FCS exercise brought financial firms and the MoD together to gain a better understanding of modern threats to British financial services and how to better prepare.
Defence Security

8 Sep 2026