International Launch
Services (ILS) is scheduled to launch Telesat Canada’s Nimiq 2
satellite in late 2002 on an Atlas V rocket, under a contract
announced today with the satellite’s builder, Lockheed Martin
Commercial Space Systems (LMCSS).

The Nimiq 2 satellite is an A2100AX model that LMCSS is building
for Telesat Canada to provide direct broadcast services across Canada.
ILS also launched the LMCSS-built Nimiq 1 satellite in 1999.

“We welcome the opportunity to launch Nimiq 2 on an Atlas V,” said
ILS President Mark Albrecht. “The customer community has been very
receptive to the Atlas V, and we’re on track to launch the first in
the series next year.”

The first vehicle in the high-performance Atlas V lineup has been
completed by Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver, Colo., and is
undergoing processing at Cape Canaveral, Fla. It will be ready for
launch in the second quarter of 2002.

ILS was formed in 1995 to provide launch services to customers
worldwide, including technical, management and marketing expertise. It
is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin Corp. in the United States, with
Russian companies Khrunichev State Research and Production Space
Center and RSC Energia, producers of the Proton vehicles.

“ILS launched the first Nimiq on Proton, and a Proton will be
available as a backup for Nimiq 2,” Albrecht said. “By offering Mutual
Backup between Atlas and Proton, we can assure customers that when
they choose ILS, they will be launched on time.”

Larry Boisvert, Telesat’s president and CEO, said: “Telesat is
impressed with the track record of the ILS family of vehicles, and
ILS’ commitment to schedule. The timely launch of Telesat’s second
direct broadcast satellite will enable the continued growth of our
business.”

Nimiq 2 is a high-power Ku/Ka-band satellite to be located at 91
degrees West longitude. Nimiq 2’s Ka-band payload will provide
broadband services. The satellite’s name — chosen from 36,000
submissions in a national contest in 1998 — is an Inuit word for any
object or force that unites things or binds them together.

“We are honored that Telesat has selected Lockheed Martin to
provide another A2100 satellite and launch on an Atlas V,” said Ted
Gavrilis, LMCSS president. “We look forward to furthering our
relationship with Telesat and delivering mission success for our
valued customer.”

Gavrilis noted that Commercial Space Systems selected ILS because
of its proven performance and reliability. The Atlas launch vehicle
has attained an impressive record of 55 consecutive successful
launches.

The Atlas V family is designed to lift payloads up to nearly 8700
kg to geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO). It was developed both for
ILS commercial missions and to meet the U.S. Air Force requirements
for the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV). The Atlas V
incorporates state-of-the-art designs, materials and processes,
including the throttleable, Russian-built RD-180 engine, the first
variable-thrust main engine to power a U.S. expendable launch vehicle.
The RD-180 and most of the other technologies for Atlas V were
flight-proven last year, during ILS’ successful inaugural launch of
the Atlas III rocket.

ILS offers the broadest range of launch services in the world
along with products with the highest reliability in the industry. ILS’
Atlas rockets and their Centaur upper stages are built by Lockheed
Martin Space Systems Company-Astronautics Operations at facilities in
Denver; Harlingen, Texas; and San Diego, Calif. The three-stage Proton
and the available Breeze M upper stage are produced by Khrunichev at
its factory near Moscow. The alternative Block DM upper stage is built
by Energia, also near Moscow. For more information, visit
www.ilslaunch.com.