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Air Force Space Surveillance System

January 01, 1970

The AN/FPS-133 Air Force Space Surveillance System, colloquially known as the Space Fence, was a U.S. government multistatic radar system built to detect orbital objects passing over America. It is a component of the U.S. space surveillance network, and according to the U.S. Navy was able to detect basketball sized (75 cm (30 in)) objects at heights up to 30,000 km (19,000 mi).[1]

Part of the master transmitter antenna at Lake Kickapoo, Texas c.2001

The system ceased operation in September 2013. Plans for a new space fence began with sites at the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, along with an option for another radar site in Western Australia.[2] It became operational on March 28, 2020.[3]

The operation's headquarters were at Dahlgren, Virginia, and radar stations were spread out across the continental United States at roughly the level of the 33rd parallel north.

Description edit

There were three transmitter sites in the system:[4]

The master transmitter at Lake Kickapoo was said to be the most powerful continuous wave (CW) station in the world, at 768 kW radiated power on 216.97927 MHz.

When the system became operational in 1961, the original frequency was 108.50 MHz (just above the FM broadcast band). In 1965, the "Fence" system was modernized with the operating frequency doubled to 216.98 MHz (just above Channel 13 in the VHF TV broadcast band) to obtain higher resolution and to locate smaller objects. This frequency was used until the Fence was decommissioned in 2013. Fill-in transmitter sites at Gila River and Jordan Lake used offset frequencies listed above from the early 1990s to 2013 to help better detect which transmitter "illuminated" an object in space, as multiple transmitters could have illuminated the same object at the same time. Overhead imagery (see coordinates given above) of the Gila River and Jordan Lake sites shows the original design at the lower frequency.

There were six receiving stations:[4]

The following receiving stations were placed in cold storage in April 2013:

The receiving stations at Elephant Butte and Hawkinsville were considered to be "High Altitude" stations with longer and more complex antenna systems that are designed to see targets at higher altitudes than the other four receiving stations.

History edit

Author Curtis Peebles notes that the original "Space Fence" or Space Surveillance System began operations in 1959.[5] The system predated the formation of NORAD and was known as the U.S. Navy Space Surveillance System (or SPASUR or NAVSPASUR).[6] From 1960 until the early 1990s the system was used in conjunction with a network of Baker-Nunn cameras that could see "an object the size of a basketball at 25,000 mi (40,000 km)".[5][7]

The system was formerly operated by the U.S. Navy for NORAD from 1961 until October 2004. Initially independent as NAVSPASUR, it was run by Naval Space Command from 1993, and finally by Naval Network and Space Operations Command from 2002 until command was passed to the U.S. Air Force 20th Space Control Squadron on 1 October 2004.[1]

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 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. On 30 September 2011, Five Rivers Services was awarded a US$7,022,503 firm fixed price with cost reimbursable line items contract modification to manage, operate, maintain, and logistically support the nine Air Force Space Surveillance System field stations, presumably for Fiscal Year 2012.[8]

Plans for system upgrade: 2009 — 2012 edit

The 850th Electronic Systems Group, Electronic Systems Center awarded 3 US$30-million contracts to Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon Technologies on 11 June 2009.[9]

A new Space Fence is envisioned to be a system of two or 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 U.S. Navy to the U.S. Air Force in 2004. The shorter wavelength of the S-band Space Fence allows for detection of much smaller satellites and debris.[9]

The 10 February 2009, collision of a U.S. Iridium communications satellite (Iridium 33) 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.[10]

Data collected from a new 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, California, 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.[9]

Plans to award the final contract had been stalled by U.S. budget sequestration in early 2013 [11] and the AFSSS system was scheduled to be discontinued in October 2013 due to budget cuts.[12]

2013 Shutdown edit

On 1 August 2013, General William L. Shelton, commander of Air Force Space Command, directed that the Air Force Space Surveillance System (AFSSS) be closed and all sites vacated effective 1 October 2013.[13] The main advantage of the system was its ability to provide uncued data on new objects as opposed to tracking objects based on existing information. However, the system was also said to be inherently inaccurate due to its dated design. Alternate operating modes for radars at Cavalier Space Force Station and Eglin AFB were devised to fulfill the mission to provide uncued data for new objects. Shelton also noted the confusion between the planned new S-band space fence and the old UHF AFSSS, which was commonly called the "space fence".[14] The AFSSS was turned off September first.[15] "It appears they pulled the plug at 00:00 UTC (6 a.m. Local MDT) on September 1st", reports engineer Stan Nelson, who was monitoring the radar using an antenna in Roswell. The radar's final echoes came from a Russian satellite and a sporadic meteor".[16] The shutdown only affects the original Space Fence, not the new one contracted to be built by Lockheed Martin for deployment in Australia and the Marshall Islands.[17]

New space fence edit

A new space fence at Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands was declared operational on March 27, 2020.[18] In 2014 Lockheed Martin won the contract to build the new S band space fence system at Kwajelein with an option for another radar site in Western Australia.[2]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Wagner, Gary R. (24 October 2004). "Navy Transfers Space Surveillance Mission to Air Force". Navy NewsStand. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  2. ^ a b Clark, Stephen (2 June 2014). "Lockheed Martin wins contract for Space Fence". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  3. ^ Erwin, Sandra (28 March 2020). "Space Fence surveillance Radar Site Declared Operational". Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  4. ^ a b   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: "47CFR§2.106 Footnote US229". Access GPO.gov. Retrieved 24 May 2006.
  5. ^ a b Peebles, Curtis (1 June 1997). High Frontier: The U.S. Air Force and the Military Space Program. DIANE Publishing. pp. 39–. ISBN 978-0-7881-4800-2.
  6. ^ "U.S. Naval Space Command Space Surveillance System". Federation of American Scientists. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  7. ^ "Hill AFB Repairs Cameras that Spy on Satellites". The Deseret News. 23 March 1977. p. 2D. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  8. ^   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: "Contracts, Defense Logistics Agency, No: 838-11". Defense.gov. 30 September 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  9. ^ a b c   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Morales, Monica D. (30 July 2009). . USAF News. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  10. ^ "Orbital Collision was the Worst Ever". Aviation Week. 11 February 2009. (article behind paywall)
  11. ^ Ewalt, David M. (17 July 2013). "Budget Cuts Threaten The Air Force's New "Space Fence"". Forbes. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  12. ^   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: "Air Force Space Command to discontinue space surveillance system". USAF News. 13 August 2013. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  13. ^ Gruss, Mike (6 August 2013). "Shelton Orders Shutdown of Space Fence". spacenews.com. SpaceNews. Archived from the original on 5 September 2013. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  14. ^   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: "Air Force Space Command to discontinue space surveillance system". 13 August 2013. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  15. ^ "Technology: U.S. "Space Fence" Shut Down". American Radio Relay League. 5 September 2013. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  16. ^ "Space Fence Discontinued". spaceweather.com. SpaceWeather. 1 September 2013. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  17. ^ . lockheed-martin.com.au. Lockheed Martin. Archived from the original on 13 September 2014. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  18. ^ "Space News". 28 March 2020.

External links edit

  • - an article about the Gila River, Arizona installation - InMaricopa Magazine, March 10, 2012
  • - Air Force Fact sheet about the Alternate Space Control Center and the AN/FPS-133 surveillance fence radar
  • US Naval Space Command Space Surveillance System at the FAS website
  • Rural site part of USA's oldest sat-tracking system from USA Today
  • , April 18, 2013, Ronald E. McCall, The Tatnall Journal
  • Naval Space Command - Maxwell-Gunter AFB
  • http://www.fiveriversservices.com/ - former contractor for AFSSS

January 01, 1970
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The AN FPS 133 Air Force Space Surveillance System colloquially known as the Space Fence was a U S government multistatic radar system built to detect orbital objects passing over America It is a component of the U S space surveillance network and according to the U S Navy was able to detect basketball sized 75 cm 30 in objects at heights up to 30 000 km 19 000 mi 1 Part of the master transmitter antenna at Lake Kickapoo Texas c 2001 The system ceased operation in September 2013 Plans for a new space fence began with sites at the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands along with an option for another radar site in Western Australia 2 It became operational on March 28 2020 3 The operation s headquarters were at Dahlgren Virginia and radar stations were spread out across the continental United States at roughly the level of the 33rd parallel north Contents 1 Description 2 History 2 1 Plans for system upgrade 2009 2012 2 2 2013 Shutdown 3 New space fence 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksDescription editThere were three transmitter sites in the system 4 216 983 MHz at Lake Kickapoo Texas 33 32 47 N 98 45 46 W 33 54639 N 98 76278 W 33 54639 98 76278 Master transmitter 216 970 MHz at Gila River Arizona 33 06 32 N 112 01 45 W 33 10889 N 112 02917 W 33 10889 112 02917 216 990 MHz at Jordan Lake Alabama 32 39 33 N 86 15 52 W 32 65917 N 86 26444 W 32 65917 86 26444 The master transmitter at Lake Kickapoo was said to be the most powerful continuous wave CW station in the world at 768 kW radiated power on 216 97927 MHz When the system became operational in 1961 the original frequency was 108 50 MHz just above the FM broadcast band In 1965 the Fence system was modernized with the operating frequency doubled to 216 98 MHz just above Channel 13 in the VHF TV broadcast band to obtain higher resolution and to locate smaller objects This frequency was used until the Fence was decommissioned in 2013 Fill in transmitter sites at Gila River and Jordan Lake used offset frequencies listed above from the early 1990s to 2013 to help better detect which transmitter illuminated an object in space as multiple transmitters could have illuminated the same object at the same time Overhead imagery see coordinates given above of the Gila River and Jordan Lake sites shows the original design at the lower frequency There were six receiving stations 4 San Diego California 32 34 42 N 116 58 11 W 32 57833 N 116 96972 W 32 57833 116 96972 Elephant Butte New Mexico 33 26 35 N 106 59 50 W 33 44306 N 106 99722 W 33 44306 106 99722 Red River Arkansas 33 19 48 N 93 33 01 W 33 33000 N 93 55028 W 33 33000 93 55028 Silver Lake Mississippi 33 08 42 N 91 01 16 W 33 14500 N 91 02111 W 33 14500 91 02111 Hawkinsville Georgia 32 17 20 N 83 32 10 W 32 28889 N 83 53611 W 32 28889 83 53611 Tattnall Georgia 32 02 35 N 81 55 21 W 32 04306 N 81 92250 W 32 04306 81 92250 The following receiving stations were placed in cold storage in April 2013 Silver Lake Mississippi 33 08 42 N 91 01 16 W 33 14500 N 91 02111 W 33 14500 91 02111 Tattnall Georgia 32 02 35 N 81 55 21 W 32 04306 N 81 92250 W 32 04306 81 92250 The receiving stations at Elephant Butte and Hawkinsville were considered to be High Altitude stations with longer and more complex antenna systems that are designed to see targets at higher altitudes than the other four receiving stations History editAuthor Curtis Peebles notes that the original Space Fence or Space Surveillance System began operations in 1959 5 The system predated the formation of NORAD and was known as the U S Navy Space Surveillance System or SPASUR or NAVSPASUR 6 From 1960 until the early 1990s the system was used in conjunction with a network of Baker Nunn cameras that could see an object the size of a basketball at 25 000 mi 40 000 km 5 7 The system was formerly operated by the U S Navy for NORAD from 1961 until October 2004 Initially independent as NAVSPASUR it was run by Naval Space Command from 1993 and finally by Naval Network and Space Operations Command from 2002 until command was passed to the U S Air Force 20th Space Control Squadron on 1 October 2004 1 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 in Colorado Springs Colorado On 30 September 2011 Five Rivers Services was awarded a US 7 022 503 firm fixed price with cost reimbursable line items contract modification to manage operate maintain and logistically support the nine Air Force Space Surveillance System field stations presumably for Fiscal Year 2012 8 Plans for system upgrade 2009 2012 edit The 850th Electronic Systems Group Electronic Systems Center awarded 3 US 30 million contracts to Lockheed Martin Northrop Grumman and Raytheon Technologies on 11 June 2009 9 A new Space Fence is envisioned to be a system of two or 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 U S Navy to the U S Air Force in 2004 The shorter wavelength of the S band Space Fence allows for detection of much smaller satellites and debris 9 The 10 February 2009 collision of a U S Iridium communications satellite Iridium 33 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 10 Data collected from a new 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 California 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 9 Plans to award the final contract had been stalled by U S budget sequestration in early 2013 11 and the AFSSS system was scheduled to be discontinued in October 2013 due to budget cuts 12 2013 Shutdown edit On 1 August 2013 General William L Shelton commander of Air Force Space Command directed that the Air Force Space Surveillance System AFSSS be closed and all sites vacated effective 1 October 2013 13 The main advantage of the system was its ability to provide uncued data on new objects as opposed to tracking objects based on existing information However the system was also said to be inherently inaccurate due to its dated design Alternate operating modes for radars at Cavalier Space Force Station and Eglin AFB were devised to fulfill the mission to provide uncued data for new objects Shelton also noted the confusion between the planned new S band space fence and the old UHF AFSSS which was commonly called the space fence 14 The AFSSS was turned off September first 15 It appears they pulled the plug at 00 00 UTC 6 a m Local MDT on September 1st reports engineer Stan Nelson who was monitoring the radar using an antenna in Roswell The radar s final echoes came from a Russian satellite and a sporadic meteor 16 The shutdown only affects the original Space Fence not the new one contracted to be built by Lockheed Martin for deployment in Australia and the Marshall Islands 17 New space fence editA new space fence at Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands was declared operational on March 27 2020 18 In 2014 Lockheed Martin won the contract to build the new S band space fence system at Kwajelein with an option for another radar site in Western Australia 2 See also edit nbsp Spaceflight portal GRAVES in France Krona space object recognition station and Krona N in RussiaReferences edit a b nbsp This article incorporates text from this source which is in the public domain Wagner Gary R 24 October 2004 Navy Transfers Space Surveillance Mission to Air Force Navy NewsStand Retrieved 13 September 2014 a b Clark Stephen 2 June 2014 Lockheed Martin wins contract for Space Fence Spaceflight Now Retrieved 3 June 2014 Erwin Sandra 28 March 2020 Space Fence surveillance Radar Site Declared Operational Retrieved 29 March 2020 a b nbsp This article incorporates text from this source which is in the public domain 47CFR 2 106 Footnote US229 Access GPO gov Retrieved 24 May 2006 a b Peebles Curtis 1 June 1997 High Frontier The U S Air Force and the Military Space Program DIANE Publishing pp 39 ISBN 978 0 7881 4800 2 U S Naval Space Command Space Surveillance System Federation of American Scientists Retrieved 13 September 2014 Hill AFB Repairs Cameras that Spy on Satellites The Deseret News 23 March 1977 p 2D Retrieved 13 September 2014 nbsp This article incorporates text from this source which is in the public domain Contracts Defense Logistics Agency No 838 11 Defense gov 30 September 2011 Retrieved 13 September 2014 a b c nbsp This article incorporates text from this source which is in the public domain Morales Monica D 30 July 2009 Space Fence program awards contracts for concept development USAF News Archived from the original on 4 March 2016 Retrieved 13 September 2014 Orbital Collision was the Worst Ever Aviation Week 11 February 2009 article behind paywall Ewalt David M 17 July 2013 Budget Cuts Threaten The Air Force s New Space Fence Forbes Retrieved 13 September 2014 nbsp This article incorporates text from this source which is in the public domain Air Force Space Command to discontinue space surveillance system USAF News 13 August 2013 Retrieved 13 September 2014 Gruss Mike 6 August 2013 Shelton Orders Shutdown of Space Fence spacenews com SpaceNews Archived from the original on 5 September 2013 Retrieved 5 September 2013 nbsp This article incorporates text from this source which is in the public domain Air Force Space Command to discontinue space surveillance system 13 August 2013 Retrieved 13 September 2014 Technology U S Space Fence Shut Down American Radio Relay League 5 September 2013 Retrieved 5 September 2013 Space Fence Discontinued spaceweather com SpaceWeather 1 September 2013 Retrieved 5 September 2013 Space Debris amp Space Fence Tracking Space Debris lockheed martin com au Lockheed Martin Archived from the original on 13 September 2014 Retrieved 13 September 2014 Space News 28 March 2020 External links editAir Force uses invisible fence to protect skies an article about the Gila River Arizona installation InMaricopa Magazine March 10 2012 20th Space Control Squadron Det 1 Air Force Fact sheet about the Alternate Space Control Center and the AN FPS 133 surveillance fence radar US Naval Space Command Space Surveillance System at the FAS website Rural site part of USA s oldest sat tracking system from USA Today Tattnall Space Surveillance Station shut down due to sequestration April 18 2013 Ronald E McCall The Tatnall Journal Naval Space Command Maxwell Gunter AFB http www fiveriversservices com former contractor for AFSSS Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Air Force Space Surveillance System amp oldid 1197839774, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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