Lockheed Martin today opened its doors in Huntsville and Courtland, Ala., to students, aged six to 18 years, for the company's annual Young Minds at Work Day. Approximately 150 students in Huntsville and approximately 30 students in Courtland participated.

A Lockheed Martin employee, contractor or customer sponsored each student. Each student "shadowed" his or her sponsor during part of the day and participated in hands-on activities and tours of the company. Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company annually hosts Young Minds at Work Day at company facilities across the country to motivate young people to pursue science and technology careers.

In Huntsville, student activities included: building a wind-powered car from a cereal box propelled by the air from a balloon; constructing bridges, forts and towers using spaghetti and marshmallows; and forming teams to design, build and test an egg catapult, a lively interactive hands-on experience covering the basics of system engineering. In Courtland, students built and launched a rocket, toured the facility and played an "Are You Smarter than a Rocket Scientist?" game.

"This event gives these students a meaningful and interesting experience with science and technology," said Jim Tevepaugh, vice president of North Alabama Operations, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. "Our employees organize these activities, applying the same level of innovation and dedication as they do to their important work in supporting various contracts for the nation's missile defense."

"Through this event, the students have an opportunity to see what they can achieve with science and technology," said Bruce Thompson, director of the Courtland facility, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company.

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company employs more than 600 people in Alabama. The company's Huntsville facility performs program management and engineering for key missile defense contracts and is the home of the corporation's Battle Management Center of Expertise. The company's Courtland Operations provides missile defense assembly, integration and test services.

Lockheed Martin Space Systems is one of several major organizations in the Lockheed Martin Corporation with operations in the Huntsville area. 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 Contact:

Lynn Fisher, 408-742-7606; lynn.m.fisher@lmco.com

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

SOURCE: Lockheed Martin