Lockheed Martin announced today that it has successfully completed a critical structural test of the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (EHF) spacecraft. The Advanced EHF system will provide global, highly secure, protected, survivable communications for all warfighters serving under the U.S. Department of Defense.

The test, known as a modal survey, is designed to validate the rigid characteristics of the spacecraft to ensure that launch and other sources of vibrations such as reaction wheels, solar arrays and various deployable and steerable mechanisms will not impact the critical mission of the communications payload.

The successful test was performed by a team of engineers at Lockheed Martin Space Systems, facilities in Sunnyvale, Calif. and included 292 accelerometers, 508 accelerometer channels and six shakers mounted to the structure and surrounding ground surface.

"Our highly successful modal testing and analysis has verified that we have a robust spacecraft design for achieving success on this critical mission," said Julie Sattler, vice president, Lockheed Martin Space Systems. "Our team continues to make outstanding progress on the AEHF Program to aid our military personnel and allies worldwide."

Based on Lockheed Martin's flight-proven A2100 spacecraft series, Advanced EHF satellites will provide greater total capacity and offer channel data rates higher than that of Milstar communications satellites. The higher data rates permit transmission of tactical military communications such as real-time video, battlefield maps and targeting data.

With the successful completion of modal testing, the spacecraft will be shipped to ATK, Corona Calif., for refurbishment and final painting prior to shipment to Lockheed Martin's Mississippi Space & Technology Center for integration with its propulsion subsystem. Development of the first Advanced EHF satellite is also progressing on schedule and is planned for launch in April 2008.

Lockheed Martin is currently under contract to provide the three Advanced EHF satellites and command control system to its customer, the MILSATCOM Joint Program Office, located at the Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif. Northrop Grumman Space Technology is the payload provider.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 135,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2005 sales of $37.2 billion.

Media Contact: Steve Tatum, 408-742-7531; e-mail, Stephen.o.tatum@lmco.com

SOURCE: Lockheed Martin