The JCSAT-10 telecommunications satellite, designed and built by Lockheed Martin for JSAT Corporation of Japan, was successfully launched today from Kourou, French Guiana. Lift-off occurred at 6:15 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) aboard an Ariane 5 launch vehicle provided by Arianespace of Evry, France. Initial contact with the satellite, called acquisition of signal, was confirmed at 7:07 p.m. EDT from Lockheed Martin's satellite tracking station in Uralla, Australia.

The successful launch of JCSAT-10 represents the 30th launch of an A2100 spacecraft for customers worldwide and all 30 currently are operational. The first A2100 was launched in 1996. Built by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems (LMCSS), Newtown, Pa., JCSAT-10 is the fourth in a series of six A2100 satellites planned this year and the second of three satellites the company will deliver to JSAT. JCSAT-9 was launched earlier this year and JCSAT-11 is scheduled for launch in 2007.

"We are proud to deliver another outstanding spacecraft to one of our premier customers, JSAT," said LMCSS President Ted Gavrilis. "The 30th straight successful A2100 launch is a testament to Lockheed Martin's commitment to excellence and mission success for our customers. Congratulations are in order to the entire team and we look forward to continuing our record of mission success for the remainder of 2006 and beyond."

Based on Lockheed Martin's A2100AX satellite bus, JCSAT-10 is a high-power hybrid satellite consisting of 30 active Ku-band transponders and 12 active C- band transponders that will provide coverage to Japan, the Asia-Pacific region and Hawaii. JCSAT-10 will operate from 128 degrees east and is designed for a minimum service life of 15 years.

Lockheed Martin's A2100 geosynchronous spacecraft series is designed to meet a wide variety of telecommunications needs including Ka-band broadband and broadcast services, fixed satellite services in C-band and Ku-band, high- power direct broadcast services using the Ku-band frequency spectrum and mobile satellite services using UHF, L-band 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.

The A2100 spacecraft's design accommodates a large range of communication payloads as demonstrated by the 30 spacecraft successfully flown to date. This design modularity also enables the A2100 spacecraft to be configured for missions other than communications. The A2100 design is currently being adapted for medium Earth orbit (MEO) missions and geostationary Earth orbit (GEO)-based Earth observing missions and is currently the baselined platform for Lockheed Martin's proposal for the GOES-R spacecraft.

About JSAT Corporation

JSAT Corporation is a leading satellite operator in the Asia-Pacific region. The company owns and operates nine satellites in eight orbital slots, covering North America, Hawaii, Asia and Oceania. JSAT provides a range of services, including digital communication satellite broadcasting service SKY PerfecTV! satellite TV broadcasting, video and data broadcasting services for corporate and inter-company networks, international telecommunications services.

About Lockheed Martin

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.

For more information about Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems, see our web site at www.lmcommercialspace.com.

Contact: Dee Valleras of Lockheed Martin, +1-215-497-4185, dee.valleras@lmco.com.

SOURCE: Lockheed Martin