...next chairman of the Space Data Association (SDA), an international non-profit group of satellite operators that supports the controlled, reliable and efficient sharing of space environment and radio frequency spectrum data. He officially took over as chairman on November 1.

Busch has been with Intelsat for more than 15 years, and is responsible for the design and implementation of satellite-based data networks; video distribution systems and transmit/receive facilities; and the design and implementation of the IntelsatOne global terrestrial network. Prior to this role, he was responsible for the overall management of Intelsat’s multiple operations centers, including the Data, RF and Video Operations Centers, the Global Scheduling Center and the Mountainside Media Center. Busch has more than 25 years in satellite communications, serving in various engineering and operations positions in the U.S. Air Force, Satellite Business Systems, MCI, Timeplex and Hughes Communications. Busch succeeds Toby Nassif, who was formerly Intelsat’s vice president of satellite operations and engineering.

The organization’s Space Data Center, an automated space situational awareness system designed to reduce the risks of on-orbit collisions and radio frequency interference, has been fully operational since April 2011. Today, the SDA consists of 17 satellite operators contributing data from more than 300 satellites. The organization recently signed data-sharing agreements with the United States’ two primary civil space agencies, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).