Tracking space garbage with Space Fence

January 20, 2011

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Lockheed Martin’s Space Fence, expected to be in initial operation in 2015, will track the junk floating in space:

Space Fence is envisioned as a network of ground-based S-band radars that will detect, track, measure and catalog thousands of objects in low-Earth orbit. Expected to begin initial operation in 2015, the system will replace the existing Air Force Space Surveillance System, or VHF Fence, which has been in service since the early 1960s. A leader in S-band radar development, Lockheed Martin’s high-powered radar systems will find and follow the course of thousands of pieces of space debris to an accuracy of just meters.

They provide this video (below) to explain the concept, of which I’m pretty sure most of is fake, but let’s pretend it’s real. It’s more exciting that way.

[Lockheed Martin via infosthetics]

5 Comments

  • M — January 20, 2011 at 9:18 am

    Why do you think it’s fake? Or do you mean the actors in the video?

  • SAS Love — January 20, 2011 at 9:40 am

    At first, I thought it was a new tv series on NBC or something.

  • Joe Crawford — January 20, 2011 at 6:47 pm

    “Space Fence is envisioned as a network of ground-based S-band radars that will detect, track, measure and catalog thousands of objects in low-Earth orbit. Expected to begin operation in 2015, the system will replace the existing Air Force Space Surveillance System, or VHF Fence, which has been in service since the early 1960s.”

  • Kermit Harrison — January 26, 2011 at 5:01 pm

    Maybe instead place funnels in space and when the junk goes thru it they can re-direct the particles back towards an incoming asteriod (which can become the new space junk) bouncing them off in an intergalactic pool game. Should be quite a show from the earths surface. That could then become the basis for a space lottery (using the results from particles created, captured or destroyed) for points.

  • Dr Smith — January 26, 2011 at 7:30 pm

    Being able to track all that garbage is great.Although i think it may have annother purpose which is to track not terestrial originated Vehicles.
    The garbage will only accumilate,so something must be done to remove it all.Perhaps micro machines to gather or “garbags scout” automated satalites plugged into the system.
    When all the garbage is collected & methods are applied to congeal & dispose of safely garbage created at moment of disposal from earth originating craft,the system will become redundant.
    Except for my initial remark.
    Nice system btw LM.Im Impressed :)