Lockheed Martin opens its testing facility in New Jersey for the Space Fence System, which will test the new technologies for better space junk and satellite tracking. The improvements are expected to increase orbital object awareness by a factor of 10 when it rolls into operation in late 2018.
The smaller testing facility in New Jersey will enable Lockheed Martin to perform tests on its new radar technologies before the official start of the Space Fence Program. The U.S. Air Force, who owns the program, is building the new Space Fence facility at the Kwajalein Atoll site in Hawaii. The program replaced the now closed Air Force Space Surveillance System (AFSSS).
The AFSSS was able to detect space-orbiting objects as big as basketball. The new Space Fence System can detect even smaller ones - about the size of a softball - using the grounded S-band radars. The wave frequencies of these new radars are higher than the previous program's VHF radar system.
Other upgrades include the gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors for the Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit or MMIC. According to Lockheed Martin, the inclusion of GaN in the new system will bring increased reliability, efficiency and power density.
"By using an open-architecture system, Space Fence can adapt to future missions requiring various tracking and coverage approaches," said Lockheed Martin Space Fence Director Bruce Schafhauser.
The construction of the Hawaii-based Space Fence is pushing forward as scheduled with the foundation and left ring walls already in place. The ring walls are designed to support the inflatable roof.
The Space Fence is set for testing and validation prior to its official kick off in the latter part of 2018. When completed, it will track both space debris and satellites orbiting Earth.
The opening of the testing facility in New Jersey is a vital milestone for the Space Fence system. It brings them a step closer to advancing the daily monitoring of over 1.5 million space debris by tenfold. It also contributes to the increased awareness when it comes to situations present in space.
With the increased payloads in recent years and more to come, a more powerful space object tracking system is a must.
