This is a story related achievement in the campaign and cannot be missed. It is the victory condition for the Tenari Glacier mission. (The 5th mission.)
An Expedition Center will be required to retrieve the artifact once you progress to the point that the mission to do so becomes available. An Alien Containment Structure is needed to store the artifact once the expedition ship returns it to your colony. A Research Center will be required to study it. Once it has been studied, the option to activate it will be under Colony Control menu (left trigger, first option) then RB over to the Powers and Policies tab and choose the Shielding Artifact.