<!---->The Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) was formed in 1982 by the major space agencies of the world to provide a forum for discussion of common problems in the development and operation of space data systems. It is currently composed of eleven member agencies, 22 observer agencies, and over 100 industrial associates.
Since its establishment, it has been actively developing Recommended Standards for data- and information-systems standards to
reduce the cost to the various agencies of performing common data functions by eliminating unjustified project-unique design and development, and
promote interoperability and cross support among cooperating space agencies to reduce operations costs by sharing facilities.
There are eleven space agencies with full voting membership in the CCSDS.At the CCSDS' bi-annual meetings, the week-long working committee meetings are followed by a general meeting where the member agencies vote to approve the committees' recommendations and direct the other business of the organization.These agencies and the nations they represent are: