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Northrop Grumman Awarded Contract To Develop Space Fence Technology
Linthicum MD (SPX) Jul 15, 2009 Northrop Grumman has been awarded the first phase of a $30 million firm-fixed price U.S. Air Force contract to develop a global space surveillance ground radar system. The new S-Band Space Fence is part of the U.S. Department of Defense's effort to track and detect what is commonly referred to as resident space objects (RSO), consisting of thousands of pieces of "space debris" as well as commercial and military satellites. Space Fence will replace the current VHF Air Force Space Surveillance System built in 1961. Space Fence will provide continuous, net-centric space situational awareness by detecting smaller objects in low and medium earth orbit. The current system requires constant sustainment intervention to maintain operations and does not address the growing population of small and micro satellites in orbit. Rich Davis, director of special projects at Northrop Grumman's Advanced Concepts and Technology Division, said, "We are addressing a key mission, which signifies a leap forward in space situation awareness capability from that available today. "The new Space Fence system will provide better accuracy and faster detection while allowing us to increase the number of satellites and other space objects that can be detected and tracked, thus avoiding collision and damage to other satellites." Australia is a candidate for the first Space Fence location. Two additional sites in other parts of the world are also under consideration. Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links Northrop Grumman Space Technology News - Applications and Research
Even More Trash TalkBethesda MD (SPX) Jul 13, 2009 Since the February 10, 2009 collision of Iridium 33 and Cosmos 2251, the Department of Defense has begun to ramp-up its efforts to warn satellite operators of high-risk, close approaches by debris and other satellites. The latest population estimates of maneuverable spacecraft are as high as 800. However, since all operators do not report on satellite status, some fraction of these may ... read more |
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