Lockheed Martin's Consolidated Space Operations Contract (CSOC) announced today a successful demonstration of its OpStar prototype, unveiled during NASA Johnson Space Center's Inspection 2000 held November 1-3, 2000. This new state-of-the-art mission services delivery approach promises significant mission operations cost reduction by delivering mission operations capabilities, such as spacecraft commanding and control, over the Internet as commercial services.

OpStar technology allows scientists to access scaleable hardware and software solutions over the Internet and literally command their spacecraft safely from anywhere, using laptop computers or handheld devices, instead of being tied to large computing centers. Scientists can also mix and match services from numerous providers spanning the full spectrum of mission services, from planning and scheduling to science data delivery.

"We are pleased to be able to demonstrate this exciting use of new commercial technology," said Dr. Douglas Tighe, Lockheed Martin's Program Manager for CSOC. "OpStar basically allows us to conduct satellite transmissions through a unit no larger than a hand-held calculator. This ability to condense our communication applications can play an increasingly important role in the way space network transmissions are conducted in the future."

The real-time demonstration of OpStar took place on Johnson Space Center's Campus using a laptop computer and a wireless handheld device to send real-time commands to the WIRE spacecraft. CSOC employed a small business, Banywhere, to provide wireless application development support. Two of CSOC's Data Services providers, Honeywell's Datalynx division (http://www.honeywell-tsi.com/DataLynx/welcome.htm) and Universal Space Network (http://www.uspacenetwork.com/), provided space/ground connectivity to the WIRE spacecraft. Two other CSOC technology partners, Compaq and Sun Microsystems, provided client and server computing platforms for the demonstration.

Lockheed Martin Space Operations, a business unit of Lockheed Martin Technology Services headquartered in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, is a high-tech engineering and science services firm employing more than 4,000 engineers, scientists and support personnel. Services include managing CSOC; software and hardware engineering for the Space Shuttle and International Space Station; mission operations and planning systems design, development, and integration; and human life sciences research.

SOURCE: Lockheed Martin Space Operations