Air Force Space Surveillance System

The "Air Force Space Surveillance System", colloquially known as the "Space Fence", is a multistatic radar system that detects orbital objects passing over United StatesAmerica. It is a component of the United States Space Surveillance NetworkUS space surveillance network, and is claimed to be able to detect objects as small as 10cm (four inches) at heights up to 30,000 km (15,000 nautical miles.) Although formerly operated by the United States NavyU.S. Navy and known as "NAVSPASUR" (short for 'Naval Space Command Surveillance'), command passed to the United States Air ForceAir Force 20th Space Control Squadron on October 1, 2004.Navy newsstand. . October 24, 2004. Accessed May 24, 2006. The operation's headquarters are at Dahlgren, Virginia, while radar stations are spread out across the continental United States at roughly the level of the 33rd parallel north.

There are three transmitter sites in the system: Footnote US229. Accessed May 24, 2006.
216.983 MHz at Lake KickapooLake Kickapoo, Texas () (Master transmitter)
216.97 MHz at Maricopa, ArizonaGila River, Arizona ()
216.99 MHz at Wetumpka, AlabamaJordan Lake, Alabama ().

The master transmitter at Lake Kickapoo is said to be the most powerful continuous wave (CW) station in the world, at 768 kW radiated power. Overhead , Northrop Grumman and Raytheon on 11 Jun 2009.

The Space Fence is a system of three S-band ground-based radars designed to perform uncued detection, tracking and accurate measurement of orbiting space objects. The Space Fence is intended to replace the Air Force Space Surveillance System, or VHF Fence, that was transferred from the Navy to the Air Force in 2004. The higher wave frequency of the Space Fence allows for detection of much smaller satellites and debris.

The February collision of a U.S. Iridium communications satellite and a Russian Cosmos 2251 communications satellite, which added hundreds more pieces of debris to the atmosphere, highlighted the need for more precise tracking of space objects. Aviation News - Collision http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story.jsp?idnews/COLLIDE021109.xml&headlineOrbital%20Collision%20Was%20The%20Worst%20Ever&channelspace&gclidCI7MrZu22JgCFQUWGgodnSEscw

Data collected from the Space Fence's sensors would potentially feed into the Joint Space Operations Center Mission System, which is used to track objects orbiting the Earth, monitor space weather and assess foreign launches. Used by operators at the 614th Air and Space Operations Center at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., the 614 AOC's 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week support provides vigilance of global and theater operations and equips the Joint Functional Component Command for space operations with the tools to conduct command and control of space forces.

In 2009, the operations and maintenance contract for the day-to-day management and operation of the Fence was awarded to Five Rivers Services, LLC, based out of Colorado Springs, CO.

References


External links
- Air Force Fact sheet about the Alternate Space Control Center and the AN/FPS-133 surveillance fence radar
at the Federation of American ScientistsFAS website
from USA Today
- Maxwell-Gunter AFB
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story.jsp?idnews/COLLIDE021109.xml&headlineOrbital%20Collision%20Was%20The%20Worst%20Ever&channelspace&gclidCI7MrZu22JgCFQUWGgodnSEscw
http://www.fiveriversservices.com/



en.wikipedia.org