A Lockheed Martin team today successfully launched a scientific payload for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's (MDA's) Critical Measurements/Countermeasures Program to study measurements from various missile defense sensors. This was the second payload launched this month from the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, Hawaii, by the Lockheed Martin-led Targets and Countermeasures industry team.

The payload was launched on a SR19 launch vehicle over the Pacific Ocean. Orbital Sciences Corp. , a Lockheed Martin subcontractor on the team, integrated the launch vehicle and provided launch services. The payload was built by Sandia National Laboratories and provided as government-furnished equipment.

"With today's successful mission, our team once again has demonstrated its integration and launch services capabilities," said Jim Tevepaugh, program director, Targets and Countermeasures, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company.

The Targets and Countermeasures Program provides realistic testing for the Ballistic Missile Defense System being developed by the MDA to defend against all classes of ballistic missiles. The expertise of the Lockheed Martin team spans systems engineering, design, manufacture and air-, land- and sea-launch capabilities. The Flexible Targets Family approach to be implemented in 2007 will further reduce cost and cycle time through the use of common subsystems and components for reentry vehicles, instrumentation, boosters and ground support.

Lockheed Martin performs Targets and Countermeasures program management and systems engineering at its facility in Arlington, Va., and engineering at its facilities in Huntsville, Ala., Denver, Colo., Albuquerque, N.M., and Sunnyvale, Calif.

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

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Lynn Fisher, +1-408-742-7606, or lynn.m.fisher@lmco.com

SOURCE: Lockheed Martin