Lockheed Martin announced today that the Air Force Research Laboratory's (AFRL) Space Vehicles Directorate, located at Kirtland Air Force Base, NM, has chosen the company to provide engineering design and development support for the Autonomous Nanosatellite Guardian Evaluating Local Space (ANGELS) satellite program. The contract, valued at $8 million, will extend the ANGELS Phase 3 basic effort from Preliminary Design Review (PDR) through Critical Design Review (CDR), August 2006 through August 2007. Following completion of the CDR, the Air Force will pursue a follow-on contract for production of a protoflight unit.

ANGELS will provide the Air Force with an innovative nanosatellite solution for independent localized space situational awareness and anomaly characterization of a host satellite. A demonstration flight is scheduled for late 2008 or early 2009.

"We are very pleased that the Air Force Research Laboratory has uniquely selected our team to continue development of this highly innovative technology that will lead to significant improvements in nanosatellite capability in space," said Rick Ambrose, vice president of Surveillance and Navigation Systems at Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. "Our experienced team and innovative design work, incorporating risk reduction throughout the development and design phases of this program, will help enable next-generation capabilities for the Air Force to execute space situational awareness missions of interest."

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, together with its teammates Space Dynamics Laboratory, a division of the Utah State University Research Foundation of Logan, UT; the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory of Cambridge, MA; Space Micro, Inc., of San Diego, CA; and Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems & Solutions, Valley Forge, PA, will support the ANGELS Phase 3 development program. Phase 3 efforts will include detailed design and analyses to assure that the ANGELS system can execute the mission within the programmatic objectives and cost constraints.

"The AFRL is excited to be working with the Lockheed Martin team as we move into the next phase of this program. During the Phase 3 Basic effort, Lockheed Martin and its teammates clearly demonstrated innovative solutions and a solid understanding of the mission concepts of operation that will support the ANGELS space situational awareness technology demonstration," said Capt. Luke Sauter, Air Force Research Laboratory ANGELS Program Manager.

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company is one of the major operating units of Lockheed Martin Corporation. Space Systems designs, develops, tests, manufactures and operates a variety of advanced technology systems for military, civil and commercial customers. Chief products include a full range of space launch systems, including heavy-lift capability, ground systems, remote sensing and communications satellites for commercial and government customers, advanced space observatories and interplanetary spacecraft, fleet ballistic missiles and missile defense systems.

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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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin