Lockheed Martin Missiles & Space
Contact: Pat Cooper (408) 742-7531
Pager: (888) 916-1791
E-mail: pat.cooper@lmco.com
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The IKONOS commercial remote sensing satellite was awarded one of the most coveted prizes for
technological achievement in the space industry — The Industry Innovation Award in the Technology
Category — from the Society of Space Professionals International.
The IKONOS satellite, designed and built by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems for Space
Imaging of Denver, CO, is the most sophisticated remote sensing spacecraft ever operated for the
commercial market — capable of photographing objects on the ground as small as one meter. The
LM900-series spacecraft was launched Sept. 24 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA.
“This award is truly an honor. Without the unyielding pursuit of innovation, this satellite would have
never come off the drawing boards,” said Tom Dougherty, Vice President, Remote Sensing & Space
Sciences for Lockheed Martin Missiles & Space. “I appreciate the recognition it brings to the many
people who worked very long hours to see this program to fruition.” Dougherty, program manager
for IKONOS when the satellite was being built and checked-out on orbit, accepted the award on
behalf of Lockheed Martin.
“Lockheed Martin’s expert team built a satellite that will not only change forever the way Space
Imaging does business, but the way organizations and people everywhere view the world,” said John
Copple, Space Imaging’s chief executive officer. “The teams’ dedication and commitment to 100%
mission success were crucial in providing the most advanced technology in the world to enable Space
Imaging to accomplish our business
objectives.”
The Society of Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) is a non-profit organization whose
members are professionals and leaders in the satellite industry. Founded in 1982, SSPI is dedicated
to strengthening industry awareness; promoting educational opportunities and development for the
next generation of satellite professionals; and encouraging growth of the satellite industry in the
future. SSPI is based in Alexandria, VA.
IKONOS represents the best in commercial remote sensing technology, providing high-resolution
black-and-white and multispectral digital imagery and visual information products. Panchromatic
images offer the highest level of detail ever available in commercial satellite imagery of the Earth.
Multispectral images reveal information that cannot be seen with the naked eye, such as chlorophyll
content in plants, vegetation health, chemical composition, surface water penetration and the
presence of oil leached from the seabed. Customers will be able to combine panchromatic and
multispectral images to produce images
that offer the advantages of both techniques.
Using overlay techniques, in which pictures are combined with near- infrared images or other
geographic information, customers can see interpretive geological images that show areas of
vegetation combined with terrain features. Combined with other geographic information and
three-dimensional visualization models, customers can achieve a more complete understanding of the
earth’s changing features to make better business decisions.
The primary payload of the IKONOS satellite is a digital imaging sensor capable of collecting both
panchromatic images at a resolution of one meter, and multispectral images with a resolution of
four meters. Because the satellite transmits digital imagery, the imagery can be processed and
disseminated very quickly, rendering it useful for time-critical applications. IKONOS is the latest in a
long heritage of Lockheed Martin’s remote sensing satellite technology. The company’s experience in
providing the highest-quality earth-imaging satellites began with applications for national security
with the Corona program in the 1950s. The company’s satellites have been used for military and civil
government weather monitoring as well, including the TIROS series of satellites and spacecraft for
the DMSP program; the Earth Observing System Terra satellite to launch later this year; and Space
Based Infrared System High for early detection of missile launches.
Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems markets, designs and builds geostationary and low
earth orbiting communications and remote sensing satellites for customers worldwide. In addition,
Commercial Space Systems offers turnkey space-based solutions including the spacecraft, ground
systems, launch operations and on-orbit support.
