Serco Inc. announced recently that it has been awarded the new Space Fence Operations and Maintenance contract by the United States Space Force Space Operations Command (SpOC). As the prime contractor for this $33 million contract, Serco will provide 24×7 services to manage, operate, maintain, and provide logistical and general support for the Space Fence system.
According to a news release, the Space Fence is a second-generation ground-based S-Band radar space surveillance system that strengthens U.S. space superiority through improved Space Domain Awareness (SDA). The contract has a 5-month base period plus five one-year option periods.
Serco, a provider of professional, technology, engineering, and management services, will perform SDA operations, logistics and organizational level maintenance for the Space Fence radar and supporting systems, as well as cybersecurity, training and knowledge management. Work will include operating and maintaining the SF S-band radar, which will dramatically increase the number of orbital objects which can be tracked and catalogued.
“From Serco’s RAF Fylingdales work in the U.K starting in 1963 through our GEODSS win here in the U.S. last year, Serco brings an impressive depth and breadth of experience and knowledge to space operations,” said Dave Dacquino, CEO, Serco. “I’m proud to see highly capable Serco innovators supporting the planning, execution, and operations in this way for improving Space Domain Awareness.”
Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama and Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands with program management from Serco’s Colorado Springs facility. New automated operations built into the Space Fence mission systems enable operators to carry out more intelligence-driven operations. The Space Fence is the first U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) SDA mission to operate from a net-centric location rather than co-located with the sensor site.
