The U.S. Air Force has selected Lockheed Martin to sustain and upgrade its ground control centers that operate mission critical research satellites.

The five-year, $31 million contract, awarded by the Air Force's Space Test and Evaluation Program Office, is for engineering, development and sustainment activity, and could grow in value if additional tasks are assigned.

The control centers, located at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico and Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, operate research satellites that are used to prove new spacecraft and ground system technologies.

The contract also provides for sustainment and operation of the Air Force's deployable antenna systems at the Kirtland base. These antennae are deployed to remote locations worldwide and are often the only systems able to collect telemetry data vital to understanding the health of new satellites and boosters during critical phases of launch and early orbit.

A leader in mission critical systems integration and information operations, Lockheed Martin Mission Systems serves customers including U.S. and international defense and civil government agencies. Mission Systems employs approximately 2,600 at facilities in Gaithersburg, Colorado Springs, Colo., and Santa Maria, Calif., and is a business unit of Lockheed Martin Corporation.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global enterprise principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced-technology systems, products and services. The Corporation's core businesses are systems integration, space, aeronautics, and technology services.

For additional information, visit the company's website: http://www.lockheedmartin.com/

To learn more about Lockheed Martin Mission Systems, visit the company's website: http://www.lmco.com/missionsystems

SOURCE: Lockheed Martin Mission Systems