MOORESTOWN, N.J., Sept. 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed
Martin's (NYSE: LMT) Space Fence System, including the large-scale
digital radar and turn-key facility were deemed technically mature
and provided evidence that all requirements will be met through the
program's Critical Design Review (CDR) conducted by the U.S. Air
Force.
Government representatives met with Lockheed Martin engineers in
Moorestown to review the Space
Fence S-band radar system design, which will detect, track, and
catalog orbital objects in space more than 1.5 million times a day
to predict and prevent space-based collisions. The three-day CDR
was preceded by the delivery of 21,000 pages of design documents,
and an eight-day Design Walkthrough, to ensure the system will meet
performance requirements. The CDR event featured the demonstration
of a small-scale system built with end-item components that
detected and tracked orbiting space objects.
"Completion of CDR marks the end of the design phase and the
start of radar production and facility construction of the Space
Fence system," says Steve Bruce,
vice president for Advanced Systems at Lockheed Martin's Mission
Systems and Training business. "Once complete, Space Fence will
deliver revolutionary capability to the U.S. Air Force with a
flexible system capable of adapting to future missions requiring
new tracking and coverage approaches. We look forward to continuing
our successful partnerships with the U.S. Air Force Space and
Missile Systems Center, Life-Cycle Management Center and Space
Command."
Within the Space Fence radar open architecture design, Lockheed
Martin uses the latest monolithic microwave integrated circuit
technology, including Gallium Nitride (GaN) semiconductor
materials. GaN provides a number of significant advantages for
active phased array radar systems, including higher power density,
greater efficiency and significantly improved reliability over
previous technologies.
Lockheed Martin has a decade of investment and significant
experience in successfully developing GaN-based products.
Lockheed Martin is able to procure mature technology that is
commercially available, aided by significant investment occurring
in the marketplace in areas such as cell phone infrastructure and
LED design. This is in alignment with the recent release of Better
Buying power 3.0 and the need to leverage commercial technology
where applicable to lower development costs and provide greater
value for the Department of Defense.
In addition to engineering the radar arrays, the Lockheed Martin
team also broke ground on the new six-acre Space Fence site earlier
this year on Kwajalein Island, 2,100 miles southwest of
Honolulu. The construction process
is challenging due to the remoteness and cultural and historic
significance of the location. The buildings are designed to
handle high winds and seismic loads, while maintaining the
alignment and accuracy of the radar system.
The sensor site installation will include an on-site operations
center and an annex to the current island power plant that will
ensure the Space Fence system has everything necessary to provide
continuous Space Situational Awareness. Once construction is
complete, Space Fence will go through testing and validation before
its initial operating capability occurs in late 2018.
For additional information, visit our website:
www.lockheedmartin.com/spacefence.
About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda,
Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace
company that employs approximately 112,000 people worldwide and is
principally engaged in the research, design, development,
manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology
systems, products and services. The Corporation's net sales for
2014 were $45.6 billion.
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141118/159313LOGO
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lockheed-martins-space-fence-program-completes-critical-design-review-300149778.html
SOURCE Lockheed Martin