Lockheed Martin's last Titan IV successfully delivers national securitypayload to space (Forwarded)

Lockheed Martin

Media Contacts:
Julie Andrews, 321-853-1567
Joan Underwood, 303-971-7398

October 19, 2005

LOCKHEED MARTIN'S LAST TITAN IV SUCCESSFULLY DELIVERS NATIONAL SECURITY
PAYLOAD TO SPACE

Proud Era Closes for Air Force and Lockheed Martin Titan IV Team At West
Coast Launch Site

VANDENBERG Air Force Base, Calif. -- The United States Air Force and
Lockheed Martin (LMT:NYSE) closed out a proud five-decade history today
with the final launch of a Titan IV B rocket carrying a critical
national security payload for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).
All eyes were on Space Launch Complex 4 East as the nation's
heavy-lift workhorse thundered off the pad to deliver its final payload
to space and retire from service.

"Today's spectacular launch is a fitting way to say goodbye to Titan,"
said G. Thomas Marsh, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Space
Systems Company. "The Lockheed Martin employees who have given their
utmost efforts to the program over the years join with our Air Force and
NRO customers, and the many other organizations that make up the Titan
team, in expressing our great pride in this service to our country's
space program."

Today's launch was the last launch for the Titan IV and the culmination
of a long evolution from the original Titan I intercontinental ballistic
missile. In all, 39 Titan IVs have been launched -- 12 Titan IVs have
been launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base on the West Coast plus 27
more from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The final Titan IV
mission from Cape Canaveral was launched successfully April 29, 2005.

Col. Michael T. Baker, director, Launch Programs, Space and Missile
Systems Center, Air Force Space Command, said, "The members of the
System Program Office are extremely proud to be part of this historic
launch. I am particularly honored to lead this SPO since Titan has been
a part of my career since 1981. We have been confident from the
beginning that the Titan team would deliver one final mission success
for the nation."

Following the Space Shuttle Challenger tragedy in 1986, when assured
access to space became critical for the U.S. government, the Titan IV
was developed as the booster used to launch the nation's largest,
heaviest and most critical payloads. Titan initial IV A design was
followed by Titan IV B with a new generation of large solid rocket
motors, state-of-the-art guidance and electronics and a new ground
processing system.

"Today's launch marks the end of an NRO Titan era but the beginning of
the Titan Legend that will live on in the history of America's space
program," said Col. Chip Zakrzewski, National Reconnaissance Office
mission director.

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company built the Titan IVs near Denver,
Colo., under contract to the U.S. government. As prime contractor and
systems integrator, the company built the first and second stages and
provides overall program management and launch services. Other members
of the Titan IV contractor team and their responsibilities include:
GenCorp Aerojet Propulsion Division, Sacramento, Calif., liquid rocket
engines; Alliant Techsystems, Magna, Utah, solid rocket motor upgrade;
The Boeing Company, Huntington Beach, Calif., payload fairing; and
Honeywell Space Systems, Clearwater, Fla., advanced guidance.

High and Low Resolution images of the launch are available at:

* High Resolution
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/data/assets/11179.jpg
* Low Resolution
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/data/assets/11178.gif

Photo Credit: Pat Corkery, Lockheed Martin.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 135,000
people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design,
development, manufacture and integration of advanced technology systems,
products and services. The corporation reported 2004 sales of $35.5 billion.