Lockheed Martin, Electro Optic Systems Establish Australian Space Debris Tracking Site
BETHESDA, MD and CANBERRA, Australia — Under a new strategic cooperation agreement, Lockheed Martin and Electro Optic Systems are developing a new space object tracking site in Western Australia that will paint a more detailed picture of space debris for both government and commercial customers.
The site will use a combination of lasers and sensitive optical systems like those found in telescopes to detect, track and characterize man-made debris objects. Electro-optical technologies that can zoom in on specific objects form a strong complement to radar-based systems like the U.S. Air Force's Space Fence, which will sweep the sky and track 200,000 objects.