Lockheed Martin and EOS Space Systems have opened a new space object tracking facility in Australia, in a bid to provide safety to satellites from space debris.

Commercial and government satellite operators will have a clear insight of the debris that could damage their networks and devise ways to avoid any problems.

In 2014, Lockheed and EOS formed the tracking network Optical Space Services (OSSTM).

OSSTM has a large telescope equipped with a laser range-finder that sends pulses to space. After hitting an object, the pulses bounce off and return to the ground network.

Data received from the system will be quickly and precisely dispatched to operators, who will then be able to avoid any possible collisions.



The system is also capable of foreseeing the path of debris, providing advance warning to operators.

"Commercial and government satellite operators will have a clear insight of the debris that could damage their networks."

Junk including rocket parts and invalid satellites pieces are orbiting in space, which poses a major threat to satellites circling in different orbits.

Lockheed Martin Military Space vice-president Mark Valerio said: "The expansion of space debris tracking by EOS and Lockheed Martin is expected to make a significant contribution to the preservation of the space environment, by providing data which will enable cost-effective debris manoeuvre for satellites.

"The accuracy of our optical sensor network, combined with an ability to reschedule tracking operations according to commercial priorities, will provide a trusted source of critical space data to commercial and government operators."

EOS operates a tracking facility at Mt Stromlo near Canberra. The company is developing another facility at Learmonth in Western Australia, which is scheduled to be inaugurated by 2016.

The company plans to further invest more than $65m ($A88.68m) to establish a global tracking network.

Image: Junk including rocket parts and invalid satellites pieces are orbiting in space. Photo: courtesy of Nasa.