The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) has selected the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Lockheed Martin team as the winner of the 2007 Technical Achievement Award for the Experimental Satellite System-11 (XSS-11) On-Orbit demonstration. The award was presented today at AIAA's Space 2007 conference in Long Beach, Calif.

The XSS-11 Team, led by the Air Force Research Laboratory's Space Vehicles Directorate, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. and Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, Denver, Colo., was recognized with the AIAA Space Systems Award for the successful design, development, integration and on-orbit tests of numerous first-time technologies and mission operations techniques supporting critical USAF missions.

Launched on April 11, 2005 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. XSS-11 was designed to advance technologies and techniques to increase the level of autonomy, guidance and safety for microsatellites.

"The entire team is honored to have been chosen to receive this prestigious award", 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, assembly, integration, test and on-orbit demonstration phases of this program, will help enable next-generation capabilities for the Air Force to execute space situational awareness missions of interest."

AIAA's Space Systems Technical Committee established the annual award to recognize outstanding achievements in the architecture, analysis, design and implementation of space systems.

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, a major operating unit of Lockheed Martin Corporation, designs, develops, tests, manufactures and operates a full spectrum of advanced-technology systems for national security, civil and commercial customers. Chief products include human space flight systems; a full range of remote sensing, navigation, meteorological and communications satellites and instruments; space observatories and interplanetary spacecraft; laser radar; fleet ballistic missiles; and missile defense systems.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 140,000 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 2006 sales of $39.6 billion.

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company