Runyan Announces $914.7M Contract for Lockheed Martin Space Fence Program

Press Release

Today, Congressman Jon Runyan (NJ-03) announced that Lockheed Martin, Moorestown has been awarded a contract for the construction of the Space Fence program. This $914.7 million, fixed price contract will significantly improve the way objects are tracked in space and increase the nation's ability to prevent space-based collisions.

"This is a huge win for Lockheed Martin, Moorestown," said Congressman Runyan. "The Space Fence program will significantly advance the way the U.S. detects and tracks space debris with much improved accuracy. The Space Fence program is extremely important to all aspects of the U.S. Space program- military space and NASA programs. In addition, this project will support approximately 315 jobs, 200 of which will be right here in Moorestown."

Space Fence will use a powerful S-band radar which will be constructed at Kwajalein, Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean. A second site is planned for Western Australia. A Space Fence prototype in Moorestown has already demonstrated the ability to successfully identify and track small objects in low Earth orbit.

Space Fence construction is slated to begin in the fall of 2014 to meet the program's 2018 initial operational capability goal.

Congressman Runyan has strongly supported full funding for this program in both appropriations and during debate on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015, and in previous years during his tenure in Congress.

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