Lockheed Martin-Built A2100 Satellite Fleet Achieves 100 Years in Orbit
The Lockheed Martin
(NYSE: LMT) A2100 communications satellite fleet has achieved a major
milestone by accumulating 100 years of successful in-orbit operations. The
A2100 satellite series, designed and manufactured at Lockheed Martin
Commercial Space Systems (LMCSS), currently consists of 24 satellites
featuring 900 transponders with an accumulated lifetime of over 4,000 years of
successful operations in orbit.
“This major milestone is a testament to superior technical capabilities,
design and engineering, manufacturing, operations and customer support,” said
LMCSS President Ted Gavrilis. “Lockheed Martin’s lean process initiatives and
drive for six-sigma quality serve as the foundation of our long-term
commitment to delivering the best, most reliable satellites in the industry.”
The first A2100 satellite, AMC-1, was launched Sept. 8, 1996. AMC-15, a
hybrid Ku/Ka-band satellite, is scheduled for launch later this year by
International Launch Services (ILS), a Lockheed Martin joint venture, aboard a
Proton launch vehicle from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
In recognition of the A2100’s reliability, Lockheed Martin received a 2003
award for “Product of the Year,” by Frost & Sullivan, an independent research
company. Calling it “the most reliable and efficient of its class,” Frost &
Sullivan recognized the LMCSS-built A2100 satellite platform for its
“outstanding on-orbit reliability record since it was first offered in 1996.”
In a recent report, Frost & Sullivan concluded that “the A2100 (is) the most
reliable satellite now available for a majority of satellite applications.”
The Lockheed Martin A2100 geosynchronous spacecraft series is designed to
meet a wide variety of telecommunications needs ranging from Ka-band/broadband
services and fixed satellite services in a C-band and Ku-band payload
configuration, high-power direct broadcast services using the Ku-band
frequency spectrum and S-band payloads. The A2100’s modular design features a
reduction in parts, simplified construction, increased on-orbit reliability
and reduced weight and cost.
A militarized version of the acclaimed A2100 bus serves as the platform of
Lockheed Martin’s offering for the U.S. Navy’s Mobile User Objective System
(MUOS), a next-generation narrowband tactical satellite communications system
designed to significantly improve ground communications for U.S. forces on the
move.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 130,000
people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design,
development, manufacture and integration of advanced technology systems,
products and services. The Corporation reported 2003 sales of $31.8 billion.
Media Contacts: Dee Valleras, 215-275-1874; e-mail, dee.valleras@lmco.com Steve Tatum, 408-742-7531, e-mail, stephen.o.tatum@lmco.com For more information about Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems, see
our web site at http://www.lmcommercialspace.com .
