The Lockheed Martin 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 www.lmcommercialspace.com.

SOURCE: Lockheed Martin