A C-band space surveillance radar system jointly operated by the United States and Australia has reached Full Operational Capability, the Australian Department of Defense reports.
The system, which tracks satellites and space debris, was gradually relocated to Western Australia by the U.S. Air Force from Antigua in the Caribbean beginning in 2014.
"The C-Band radar operated from Harold E. Holt Naval Communication Station near Exmouth, Western Australia, is the first low-earth orbit space surveillance network sensor in the Southern Hemisphere," Australian Minister for Defense Marise Payne said in a press release.
"In its new location, the radar provides both southern and eastern hemisphere coverage that will lead to improved positional accuracies and predictions."
While in Antigua, the system was used to track the telemetry of space launches from Cape Canaveral.
Japan's troubled 'space junk' mission fails
An experimental Japanese mission to clear 'space junk' or rubbish from the Earth's orbit has ended in failure, officials said Monday, in an embarassment for Tokyo.
Over 100 million pieces of garbage are thought to be whizzing around the planet, including cast-off equipment from old satellites and bits of rocket, which experts say could pose risks for future space exploration.
Scientists … read more
