Lockheed Martin-Built Military Communications Satellite Marks 15 Years in Service
Satellite Communications System (DSCS) B10 satellite, built by Lockheed Martin
(NYSE: LMT), has achieved 15 years of on-orbit operations, far exceeding its
original 10 year design life.
The entire DSCS constellation, which provides secure and reliable
communications service to the warfighter, will surpass 200 years of cumulative
on-orbit service in early 2009, the largest total operational experience of
any U.S. military communications satellite constellation.
Lockheed Martin designed and built 14 DSCS spacecraft for the Military
Satellite Communications Wing at the Air Force’s Space and Missile Systems
Center,
secure voice and high-data rate communications to Department of Defense users;
essential tools in monitoring events and deploying and sustaining forces
anywhere in the world.
The DSCS III satellites on-orbit today have a design life of 10-years,
however the team’s ability to better estimate the on-board fuel, combined with
new techniques for maximizing fuel usage, allows the DSCS satellites to exceed
their design life by several years.
In addition to the DSCS constellation’s longevity, the Lockheed
Martin-built Milstar constellation continues to provide secure, reliable and
robust communications to U.S. and Allied Forces around the globe. By
2009
on-orbit operations.
“We are extremely proud of our demonstrated performance providing the
warfighter with secure and reliable satellite communications,” said
Kwiatkowski
Communications Systems. “The DSCS program and Milstar systems are true
national assets. As they continue to provide outstanding performance, we look
forward to the constellations playing a pivotal role in national security for
years to come.”
Lockheed Martin is also progressing on the Department of Defense’s highly
secure communications satellite system, the Advanced Extremely High Frequency
(AEHF) program. As the successor to Milstar, AEHF will increase data rates by
a factor of five, permitting transmission of more tactical military
communications, such as real-time video, battlefield maps and targeting data.
The first Lockheed Martin-built AEHF spacecraft has completed initial thermal
vacuum testing and is planned for delivery to the Air Force in 2010.
The company is leveraging its unparalleled expertise fielding proven
technologies for advanced military communications systems, as it leads a team
in the competition for the next-generation Transformational Satellite
Communications System (TSAT). TSAT will ultimately replace the
Milstar and AEHF constellations and provide thousands of military users with
wideband, highly mobile, beyond line-of-sight protected communications to
support network-centric operations for the future battlefield.
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
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 2007 sales of
Media Contact: Steve Tatum, (408) 742-7531; email,
stephen.o.tatum@lmco.com
Michael Friedman, 408-742-3516; e-mail,
michael.1.friedman@lmco.com
High and low resolution images of the DSCS can be found at:
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/products/DefenseSatelliteCommunicationsSyste/
High and low resolution images of Milstar can be found at:
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/products/Milstar/
High and low resolution images of AEHF can be found at:
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/AEHF
SOURCE Lockheed Martin