Moorestown Firm to Construct Space Fence

Not many people are aware of what exactly is floating around the Earth in space. However, a device that will be built in Moorestown will answer those questions.

Lockheed Martin has been awarded a contract worth nearly $915,000,000 for the construction of the Space Fence program, according to shore Congressman Jon Runyan (R-3).

Built in Kwajalein, Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean, the system will detect and track space debris and increase the nation's ability to prevent space-based collisions.

A prototype already built in Moorestown has successfully identified and tracked small objects around Earth's orbit.

Construction is scheduled to begin this Fall with the goal of a 2018 launch. According to Runyan, "this project will support approximately 315 jobs, 200 of which will be here in Moorestown."