Ground structures for housing the U.S. Space Fence program are to be designed and built by a General Dynamics business unit under contract from Lockheed Martin.

The structures - as well as integration of mechanical systems for the project - will start next year on Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

"Just like the precision radio-telescope antennas, General Dynamics C4 Systems SATCOM Technologies' expertise in building exceptionally large, exquisitely engineered structures will contribute to keeping the satellites we depend on for communications, weather forecasting and other services from colliding with space debris," said Chris Marzilli, president of General Dynamics C4 Systems.

Space Fence is a new ground-based radar system for detecting and tracking the more than 100,000 objects currently in space to help avoid collisions. Lockheed is building the radar system for the U.S. Air Force.

General Dynamics C4 Systems SATCOM Technologies is a supplier of base station and Earth station communications products and services - such as satellite antennas and antenna systems and cyber-secure wireless communication products - and also engages in the design and building of advanced optical telescope mirror structures and radio telescope antennas.