Lockheed Martin recently released new information about their Space Fence which caught my attention since they are using GaN amplifiers in the system. Space Fence is a long range radar system to track and monitor objects and debris in orbit around the Earth. They announced that objects in space will soon be monitored by a radar array for the U.S. Air Force’s Space Fence as part of Lockheed Martin’s new test site. This site is representative of the larger system under construction on the remote Kwajalein Island.
The test facility will be used for early validation of hardware, firmware and software that will enable the Space Fence to detect, track, and catalog orbital objects (such as spent rocket boosters, stray hardware, and other debris) more than 1.5 million times a day to predict and prevent space-based collisions. The test site will also provide early lessons learned on installation of the S-band ground-based radars, support maintenance training and allow engineers to test verification procedures.
Space Fence will use S-band ground-based radars to provide the Air Force with detection, tracking and accurate measurement of space objects, primarily in low-earth orbit. The geographic separation and the higher wave frequency of the new Space Fence radars will allow for the detection of much smaller microsatellites and debris than current systems. Lockheed Martin’s Space Fence design will significantly improve the timeliness with which operators can detect space events which could present potential threats to GPS satellites or the International Space Station.
Construction is taking place at the six-acre Space Fence site 2,100 miles southwest of Honolulu. Forty-five hundred cubic yards of concrete now form the foundation of the sensor site and the start of ring walls that will support the inflatable roof permeable by RF bands.Once construction is complete, Space Fence will be tested and validated before its Initial Operating Capability occurs in late 2018.
Space Fence will replace the existing Air Force Space Surveillance System, or VHF Fence, which has been in service since the early 1960s (sounds like this is way overdue). The new system’s initial operational capability is scheduled for 2017.
Lockheed Martin uses the latest MMIC technology, including GaN as it provides significant advantages for active phased array radar systems, including higher power density, greater efficiency and improved reliability over previous technologies. After more than 5,000 hours (or nearly seven months) of accelerated stress testing, Lockheed Martin has demonstrated greater than 99% confidence that the Wolfspeed’s GaN HPAs will meet the long-term reliability goals for the Space Fence program.