Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company today opened its doors to students, aged six to 18 years, for the company's annual Young Minds at Work Day. A total of approximately 4,000 students are participating at company facilities in Colorado, California, Alabama and Pennsylvania.

Lockheed Martin Space Systems hosts Young Minds at Work Day to motivate young people to pursue science and technology careers. A Lockheed Martin employee, contractor or customer is sponsoring each student. Each student "shadows" his or her sponsor during part of the day and participates in hands-on activities and tours of the company.

  Some of today's activities include:
  --  Practicing "docking" a spacecraft with the International Space Station
      at the company's Space Operations and Simulation Center - in Denver,
      Colo.;
  --  Racing solar-powered cars (while also honoring Earth Day 2010) and
      viewing a solar array panel that will use the energy from the sun to
      similarly power a satellite in space - in Sunnyvale, Calif.;
  --  Viewing in 3-D a futuristic space weather forecasting demonstration -
      in Palo Alto, Calif.;
  --  Seeing aerodynamic principles at work by building and flying paper
      airplanes - in Huntsville, Ala.;
  --  Studying propulsion techniques by launching water bottle rockets - in
      Courtland, Ala.;
  --  And, studying the freezing effects of liquid nitrogen by making ice
      cream for participants - in Newtown, Penn.

"As we continue to encourage students to pursue science and technology careers through various activities, the students who participate in Young Minds at Work Day get an inside view of our aerospace work environment and of the opportunities for achievement in their chosen career fields," said Richard P. Kludt, vice president of human resources, Lockheed Martin Space Systems.

"This innovative annual event is one part of Lockheed Martin's extensive outreach efforts to inspire students' interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)," said Jan Wrather, vice president of communications, Lockheed Martin Space Systems. "By engaging students in demonstrations and hands-on activities that stir their imaginations, we hope to encourage them to be the next generation of scientists and space explorers."

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 is a global security company that employs about 136,000 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 2009 sales of $45.2 billion.

                                  Media Contacts:

                               Gary Napier, Denver,
                       303-971-4012; gary.p.napier@lmco.com

                              Steve Tatum, Sunnyvale,
                      408-742-7531; stephen.o.tatum@lmco.com

                             Buddy Nelson, Palo Alto,
                        510-797-0349; buddy.nelson@lmco.com

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

                              Dee Valleras, Newtown,
                        215-497-4185, dee.valleras@lmco.com

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin