DTN News: Northrop Grumman Awarded Contract To Develop Space Fence Technology

DTN News: Northrop Grumman Awarded Contract To Develop Space Fence Technology *Source: DTN News / Northrop Grumman Corporation (NSI News Source Info) LINTHICUM, Md., - July 14, 2009: Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) 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 "Technology-to-Warfighting" graphic shown is drawn from a news briefing of March 12, 2003 at the Pentagon. One of the key aspects of this graphic is the idea of "space surveillance," knowing what is out there, what it is doing, whether it threatens our many satellites, and, if so, what to do about it. The Air Force has made it its business to obtain and maintain space superiority; the USAF calls it "Space Control." The Air Force is not shy about this objective. Fundamentally, space control means the US must have freedom of action in space and, if directed, deny such freedom of action to adversaries. That in turn means we have to know what is out there and where it is, at any given point in time. 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. Northrop Grumman Corporation is a global defense and technology company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in information and services, electronics, aerospace and shipbuilding to government and commercial customers worldwide.