Lockheed Martin has successfully completed acoustic testing of the second Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) military communications satellite. The Advanced EHF system will provide survivable, highly secure, protected, global communications for all warfighters serving under the U.S. Department of Defense.

During the test, the fully integrated space vehicle (SV-2) was subjected to the acoustic levels expected during launch into orbit. The successful test, conducted at Lockheed Martin's Space Systems facilities in Sunnyvale, Calif., is the last of the critical environmental test phases for SV-2 that validates the overall satellite design, quality of workmanship and survivability of the space vehicle launch and on-orbit environment and is now the second AEHF satellite that has completed this critical test phase.

"Successful completion of this rigorous test demonstrates the quality of workmanship, the integrity of our design, and the satellite's readiness to withstand the loads it will experience in flight," said John Miyamoto, Lockheed Martin's Advanced EHF vice president and program manager. "We look forward to successfully executing the final testing necessary to prepare this vitally important spacecraft for launch and achieving mission success for our customer."

With the completion of spacecraft acoustic testing, the team of Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Sunnyvale, Calif., the AEHF prime contractor, and Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, Redondo Beach, Calif., the payload supplier, will now perform final integrated spacecraft and system test activities necessary to prepare the vehicle for flight. The second AEHF is planned for launch in 2011 aboard an Atlas V launch vehicle. The first AEHF satellite (SV-1) is planned for a launch in 2010.

One AEHF satellite will provide greater total capacity than the entire Milstar constellation currently on-orbit. Individual user data rates will be five times improved. The higher data rates will permit transmission of tactical military communications, such as real-time video, battlefield maps and targeting data. In addition to its tactical mission, AEHF will provide the critical survivable, protected, and endurable communications to the National Command Authority including presidential conferencing in all levels of conflict.

Lockheed Martin is currently under contract to provide three Advanced EHF satellites and the Mission Control Segment to its customer, the Military Satellite Communications Systems Wing, located at the Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif. The program has begun advanced procurement of long-lead components for a fourth AEHF satellite.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that 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 2008 sales of $42.7 billion.

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin