Space Data Association appoints new Directors: Alex Cacioni of Immarsat, and Charles Law of SES

The Space Data Association (SDA)has announced that Alex Cacioni has replaced Mark Dickinson as Inmarsat representative, and Charles Law has replaced Pascal Wauthier as SES representative, on the SDA Board of Directors. 
 
Alex Cacioni has been involved in the space industry for 30 years working on all aspects of geostationary satellite operations. At Immarsat, he is responsible for orbital positioning and manoeuvre planning of the Inmarsat satellites. He is also part of ISO TC20/SC14 WG7 for the Developments of Standards for Orbital Debris Mitigation.
 
Charles Law leads a team of Flight Dynamics Engineers at SES responsible for manoeuvre planning and orbital control of SES’s fleet of 20 O3b (MEO) and 51 GEO satellites. This includes conjunction assessment and collision avoidance manoeuvre planning during initial transfer orbit, on-station and during the disposal phase.  
 
Formed in 2009, the SDA is an international organization that aims to enhance safety of flight via sharing of operational data and promotion of best practices across the industry. It brings together satellite operators to support the controlled, reliable, and efficient sharing of data critical to the safety and integrity of the space environment.
 
Mark Dickinson, Immarsat, added “Alex Cacioni is committed to the mission of flight safety and preservation of the space environment. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience with him to his new role on the SDA board, and I would like to give him a very warm welcome.”
 
Pascal Wauthier, SES, commented: “I welcome the appointment of Charles Law as SES representative on the SDA board. With his extensive knowledge, Charles will be a valuable addition to the board, helping it in its mission to achieve a safer space environment”.
 
Joe Chan, Chairman, the Space Data Association, commented: “As the space environment gets ever more complex, the need to enhance the safety of space flight through sharing of knowledge and data is only going to become more important. The SDA plays a key role in achieving this. Both Alex and Charles have already been active members of the SDA, so I look forward to further involvement from them as Directors.”