Lockheed's 'Space Fence' surveillance system to track cosmic debris

Right now, millions of objects are whizzing around Earth faster than speeding bullets. Much of this is celestial garbage — remnants of past missions and cosmic collisions that have taken place over half a century. Dead satellites. Spent rocket stages. Astronauts' long-lost equipment. To keep watch over this vast orbiting junkyard, the Air Force has awarded a $914.7-million contract to Lockheed Martin Corp. to develop a surveillance system that will provide a continuous watch over what's up there. The system will enable the U.S. government to detect and track objects as they circle the globe, particularly the most congested areas of space. More

(Source: Los Angeles Times - Jul 6)