Jacques van Oene
November 15th 05, 11:05 PM
SECOND MILSTAR SATELLITE BUILT BY LOCKHEED MARTIN ACHIEVES 10 YEARS IN
SERVICE SPACE-BASED NETWORK VITAL TO NATIONAL SECURITY
SUNNYVALE, CALIF., November 15, 2005
The second U.S. Air Force Milstar communications satellite, built by a team
led by Lockheed Martin [NYSE:LMT], has surpassed its 10-year design life of
on-orbit service and will continue to provide secure, reliable and robust
communications to U.S. and Allied Forces around the globe well into the
future.
Originally launched aboard a Lockheed Martin Titan IV launch vehicle from
Cape Canaveral on Nov. 6, 1995, the satellite is one of two Block I
spacecraft on orbit equipped with a UHF and Low Data Rate EHF payload
provided by Northrop Grumman Space Technology of Redondo Beach, Calif., and
equipped with crosslink payloads to communicate between on-orbit satellites,
built by Boeing Satellite Systems, El Segundo, Calif. The first Milstar
satellite, now on orbit for over 11 years, continues to provide robust
communications service since its launch on Feb. 7, 1994.
"The Milstar system is truly a national asset which has provided significant
value to the warfighter for the last decade," said Leonard F. Kwiatkowski,
vice president and general manager, military space, Lockheed Martin Space
Systems in Sunnyvale. "Built by a talented and dedicated group of people,
Milstar has greatly improved battlefield communications, delivering critical
secure, real-time, connectivity among forces in the field, and their
commanders anywhere on the globe. We are extremely proud of Milstar's
outstanding record of performance, its ongoing vital contribution to our
national security and the added value it is providing to the nation as it
exceeds design life."
The Air Force transitioned to the Block II configuration with the successful
launch of the first Milstar II satellite in 2001. The Milstar Block II
system offers a variety of enhanced communications features for the U.S.
military, including the Medium Data Rate EHF payload also built by Boeing
Satellite Systems, which can process data at speeds up to 1.5 megabits per
second.
Milstar is the Defense Department's most technologically advanced
telecommunications satellite system, which provides critical, secure links
to U.S. national leaders, air, land and sea forces around the globe. The
Milstar system is the only survivable, endurable means that the President,
the Secretary of Defense and the Commander, U.S. Strategic Command have to
maintain positive command and control of this nation's strategic forces.
The Milstar system's capabilities were cited by the Department of Defense as
essential to the U.S.-led coalition's success in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Milstar's voice, data and video teleconferencing communications were also
used recently in the military's coordination of necessary resources for
hurricane relief operations.
Last year, the U.S. Air Force/Lockheed Martin-led Milstar team was selected
as the winner of the 2004 National Air and Space Museum Trophy for Current
Achievement for the successful development, deployment, and operation of the
Milstar constellation. The award ranks with the most distinguished honors
and awards of the Smithsonian Institution.
Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Sunnyvale, Calif. is the prime contractor,
satellite bus provider, ground command & control provider and lead systems
integrator for Milstar.
The final Milstar II satellite was launched successfully on April 8, 2003,
creating the first space-based global communications network and providing a
secure communications network which can transmit voice, data, and imagery,
in addition to offering video teleconferencing capabilities for the
Department of Defense. The Milstar team is led by the MILSATCOM Joint
Program Office at the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, Los
Angeles Air Force Base, Calif.
Contact:
NOTE TO EDITORS: Low- and high-resolution JPEG image files of Milstar
satellites are available at: http://www.lockheedmartin.com/Milstar
Media Contact: Steve Tatum, 408-742-7531; e-mail,
--
--------------
Jacques :-)
www.spacepatches.info
SERVICE SPACE-BASED NETWORK VITAL TO NATIONAL SECURITY
SUNNYVALE, CALIF., November 15, 2005
The second U.S. Air Force Milstar communications satellite, built by a team
led by Lockheed Martin [NYSE:LMT], has surpassed its 10-year design life of
on-orbit service and will continue to provide secure, reliable and robust
communications to U.S. and Allied Forces around the globe well into the
future.
Originally launched aboard a Lockheed Martin Titan IV launch vehicle from
Cape Canaveral on Nov. 6, 1995, the satellite is one of two Block I
spacecraft on orbit equipped with a UHF and Low Data Rate EHF payload
provided by Northrop Grumman Space Technology of Redondo Beach, Calif., and
equipped with crosslink payloads to communicate between on-orbit satellites,
built by Boeing Satellite Systems, El Segundo, Calif. The first Milstar
satellite, now on orbit for over 11 years, continues to provide robust
communications service since its launch on Feb. 7, 1994.
"The Milstar system is truly a national asset which has provided significant
value to the warfighter for the last decade," said Leonard F. Kwiatkowski,
vice president and general manager, military space, Lockheed Martin Space
Systems in Sunnyvale. "Built by a talented and dedicated group of people,
Milstar has greatly improved battlefield communications, delivering critical
secure, real-time, connectivity among forces in the field, and their
commanders anywhere on the globe. We are extremely proud of Milstar's
outstanding record of performance, its ongoing vital contribution to our
national security and the added value it is providing to the nation as it
exceeds design life."
The Air Force transitioned to the Block II configuration with the successful
launch of the first Milstar II satellite in 2001. The Milstar Block II
system offers a variety of enhanced communications features for the U.S.
military, including the Medium Data Rate EHF payload also built by Boeing
Satellite Systems, which can process data at speeds up to 1.5 megabits per
second.
Milstar is the Defense Department's most technologically advanced
telecommunications satellite system, which provides critical, secure links
to U.S. national leaders, air, land and sea forces around the globe. The
Milstar system is the only survivable, endurable means that the President,
the Secretary of Defense and the Commander, U.S. Strategic Command have to
maintain positive command and control of this nation's strategic forces.
The Milstar system's capabilities were cited by the Department of Defense as
essential to the U.S.-led coalition's success in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Milstar's voice, data and video teleconferencing communications were also
used recently in the military's coordination of necessary resources for
hurricane relief operations.
Last year, the U.S. Air Force/Lockheed Martin-led Milstar team was selected
as the winner of the 2004 National Air and Space Museum Trophy for Current
Achievement for the successful development, deployment, and operation of the
Milstar constellation. The award ranks with the most distinguished honors
and awards of the Smithsonian Institution.
Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Sunnyvale, Calif. is the prime contractor,
satellite bus provider, ground command & control provider and lead systems
integrator for Milstar.
The final Milstar II satellite was launched successfully on April 8, 2003,
creating the first space-based global communications network and providing a
secure communications network which can transmit voice, data, and imagery,
in addition to offering video teleconferencing capabilities for the
Department of Defense. The Milstar team is led by the MILSATCOM Joint
Program Office at the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, Los
Angeles Air Force Base, Calif.
Contact:
NOTE TO EDITORS: Low- and high-resolution JPEG image files of Milstar
satellites are available at: http://www.lockheedmartin.com/Milstar
Media Contact: Steve Tatum, 408-742-7531; e-mail,
--
--------------
Jacques :-)
www.spacepatches.info