Lockheed Martin has been awarded a contract by the Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation (B-SAT) of Japan to build its next geostationary telecommunications satellite. Designated BSAT-3b, the satellite will provide high-definition (HD) direct broadcast services throughout Japan following its scheduled launch the third quarter of 2010 aboard an Arianespace launch vehicle.

BSAT-3b will be the second consecutive satellite order B-SAT has awarded to Lockheed Martin. Lockheed Martin successfully built and launched BSAT-3a in August 2007. BSAT-3b will comprise 12 130 W Ku-band channels (8 operating at one time) and will be located at 110 degrees East longitude. With a design life of 15 years, BSAT-3b is based on the A2100A platform manufactured by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems (LMCSS), Newtown, Pa. BSAT-3b also marks the 13th Lockheed Martin satellite ordered in the 1- to 4-kW class satellite range.

"The Lockheed Martin team is extremely gratified by the continuing support of B-SAT," said LMCSS Vice President and General Manager Marshall Byrd. "This contract award for the design and construction of BSAT-3b reaffirms our solid relationship with our valued customer, B-SAT. The A2100 team is dedicated and focused on producing a highly reliable spacecraft for B-SAT."

"We have been very pleased with the performance of the BSAT-3a spacecraft, and are pleased to once again procure another highly reliable spacecraft from LMCSS," said B-SAT President & CEO Kazuo Takenaka. "We believe that the LMCSS team will provide us with the same enthusiasm and dedication for BSAT-3b that it showed us in the manufacture of BSAT-3a. It is our strong expectation that BSAT-3b will be a perfect satellite at handover, and that it will fully perform its mission throughout its design life."

The Lockheed Martin 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 design accommodates a large range of payloads. This design modularity enables the A2100 spacecraft to be configured for a wide variety of missions in addition to communication. The A2100 serves as the platform for critical Lockheed Martin government communications programs such as the Advanced Extremely High Frequency program and Mobile User Objective System.

The A2100 platform design has been adapted for geostationary earth orbit (GEO)-based earth observing missions and is currently baselined for Lockheed Martin's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite Series-R (GOES-R) proposal. The A2100 platform also is the foundation for Lockheed Martin's Transformational Satellite Communications System (TSAT) offering for the U.S. Government.

About B-SAT

B-SAT is a unique operator of broadcasting satellites in 12GHz BSS band in Japan. The company was established in April 1993 and is located in Tokyo, Japan. Since then, B-SAT has worked toward providing stable satellite operations and continuity of broadcast services. B-SAT currently owns and manages five satellites, BSAT-1a and-1b for analogue services, BSAT-2a and -2c for digital services and BSAT-3a for both analogue and digital services.

About Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems is a unit of Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. 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 2007 sales of $41.9 billion.

Media Contacts: Dee Valleras, 215-275-1874; e-mail, dee.valleras@lmco.com

For more information about Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems, see our web site at http://www.lockheedmartin.com/ssc/CommercialSpace/.

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin