Lockheed Martin’s A2100 Satellite and Atlas V Launch Vehicle Receive Frost & Sullivan Space Industry Awards
Lockheed Martin’s A2100
telecommunications satellite series and its Atlas V launch vehicle were
recognized by Frost & Sullivan with awards for “Product of the Year” and
“Achievement of the Year,” respectively.
Calling it “the most reliable and efficient of its class,” Frost &
Sullivan recognized the Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems-built A2100
satellite platform for its “outstanding on-orbit reliability record since it
was first offered in 1996.” Frost & Sullivan presents the Satellite Market
Product of the Year award for products that “demonstrate outstanding
reliability and mission success and excel in technical efficiency and
versatility. The product ranks higher in these areas than similar competitive
products and demonstrates continued superiority.”
Lockheed Martin’s Atlas V, which celebrated its successful inaugural
flight August 21, 2002, was singled out by Frost & Sullivan as the industry’s
most significant “Achievement of the Year.” This award is given to a company
for an achievement that defines its industry in terms of technical, strategic,
leadership, sales or a combination of those hallmarks. The Atlas V program
was recognized by Frost & Sullivan as an achievement which defined “a turning
point in the industry and will influence the direction of the industry” in the
years to come. “The successful launch of the Atlas V signals a new phase in
the commercial launch industry as a brand new launch vehicle, one of the first
truly significant space-related advances made in the United States in more
than 20 years,” noted Frost & Sullivan in its award.
“Lockheed Martin is honored to have been chosen to receive these
prestigious awards,” said Al Smith, executive vice president of Lockheed
Martin Space Systems Company. “It is a tribute to the talent and determination
of our employees who have developed the A2100 and the Atlas V which enable us
to achieve success for our customers. Such recognition is testimony to
Lockheed Martin’s commitment to developing reliable and capable systems which
make a significant contribution to our customers’ success and to the
industry,” added Smith.
Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems, based in Newtown, Pa., markets,
designs and builds the A2100 telecommunications satellite for customers
worldwide. The A2100 geosynchronous spacecraft is designed to meet a wide
variety of telecommunications needs ranging from Ka band/broadband services,
fixed satellite services in a Ku-band payload configuration, to high-power
direct broadcast services using the Ku-band frequency spectrum. The A2100’s
modular design features a reduction in parts, simplifying construction,
increasing on-orbit reliability and reducing weight and cost.
Last year, Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems successfully launch
five satellites, four of which were the A2100 design built for customers
worldwide, including EchoStar VII for EchoStar Orbital Corporation; NSS-6 and
NSS-7 satellites for New Skies Satellites; and most recently, the launch of
Nimiq 2 for Telesat Canada. The successful launch of Nimiq 2 represented the
21st consecutive successful launch of an A2100 spacecraft. The company now is
gearing up for the launch of Rainbow, a high-power A2100 satellite for
Cablevision Systems Corp. of Bethpage, N.Y. The satellite is scheduled to
launch aboard an Atlas V rocket later this year.
The Atlas V, designed and built by Lockheed Martin Space & Strategic
Missiles at facilities near Denver, Colo., performed a flawless inaugural
flight last August, heralding the advent of the next-generation launch system
developed for the U.S. Air Force’s Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program
and for the worldwide commercial satellite market.
Atlas is the most reliable and versatile launch vehicle family in the
space launch industry today, with a record of 63 consecutive successful
missions and 472 total launch successes. In addition, all seven new versions
of the commercial Atlas introduced to the market since 1990 have flown
successfully in their inaugural flights — Atlas I (1990), Atlas II (1991),
Atlas IIA (1992), Atlas IIAS (1993), Atlas IIIA (2000), Atlas IIIB (2002) and
Atlas V (2002). This record of inaugural flight performance is unprecedented
in the space launch industry. The Atlas team accomplished this by using a
proven development strategy termed the “spiral development” method. Using
this method, Lockheed Martin achieved incremental steps in its ongoing
development and improvement of the Atlas launch system, as opposed to major
leaps in unproven technology. This approach has led to the successful
evolution of the Atlas to the Atlas V 400 and 500 series. The evolutionary
steps undertaken by Lockheed Martin have resulted in revolutionary
achievements and launch system performance.
Frost & Sullivan, a global leader in strategic market training and growth
consulting, presents Market Engineering Awards to companies that demonstrate
excellence in their industry, commending the innovative business strategies
required to advance in the global marketplace. Frost & Sullivan rigorously
analyzes specific criteria to determine Market Engineering Award recipients in
a vast variety of market industries and landscapes. For further information,
visit www.frost.com.
Lockheed Martin Space & Strategic Missiles is a business unit of Lockheed
Martin Space Systems Company. Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company is one of
the major operating units of Lockheed Martin Corporation. Space Systems
designs, develops, tests, manufactures and operates a variety of advanced
technology systems for military, civil and commercial customers. Chief
products include a full-range of space launch systems, including heavy-lift
capability, ground systems, remote sensing and communications satellites for
commercial and government customers, advanced space observatories and
interplanetary spacecraft, fleet ballistic missiles and missile defense
systems.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a highly diversified
global enterprise principally engaged in the research, design, development,
manufacture and integration of advanced-technology systems, products and
services. The Corporation’s core businesses span space and
telecommunications, electronics, information and services, aeronautics, energy
and systems integration. Lockheed Martin had 2001 sales surpassing
$24 billion.
For additional information about Frost & Sullivan, please contact Jamie L.
Frizzell at 210-247-2496 or jfrizzell@frost.com.
For more information about Lockheed Martin Space Systems and its products,
go to http://www.ast.lmco.com and http://lmms.external.lmco.com .
CONTACT: Steve Tatum, +1-408-742-7531, or pager, +1-888-926-2912, or
stephen.o.tatum@lmco.com, or Joan Underwood, +1-303-971-7398, or
pager, +1-800-745-8198, or joan.b.underwood@lmco.com.
