Lockheed Martin – The Space Fence

The video, produced by Lockheed Martin, talks about the “Space Fence,” a next-generation system for tracking orbital debris that’s due to begin operation in 2015. Orbital debris are a major source of concern for space faring nations: experts estimate that there currently are between 100,000 and 500,000 objects larger than a centimeter in Earth orbit, although 20,000 pieces have actually been cataloged. The debris population could reach a point where debris colliding would cause the production of further debris in a cascade process known as the Kessler syndrome.