Lockheed Martin has opened a Space Fence test site in Moorestown, N.J., that will allow for testing of the system’s hardware and software while the actual, six-acre site is being built on Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean, the company announced Monday. The Space Fence will use S-band ground-based radar to detect and track objects and debris in space to prevent collisions, and will replace the existing Air Force Space Surveillance System. “We are one step closer to dramatically improving space situational awareness and increasing orbital debris monitoring by tenfold,” said Bruce Schafhauser, Lockheed Martin’s space fence program director, according to the release. A scaled-down version of the Space Fence system first tracked a satellite at the end of January, according to an earlier Lockheed release. Initial operational capability is scheduled for late 2018.
Celebrating 100 Years of Liquid-Fueled Rockets
March 11, 2026
March 16, 2026, marks 100 years since Dr. Robert H. Goddard launched the world’s first liquid-fueled rocket. Over the past century, new and ever more capable liquid-fueled rockets have literally propelled humanity into space. Why liquid-fueled rockets?