The NSS-7
telecommunications satellite, designed and built by Lockheed Martin
Commercial Space Systems (LMCSS), was successfully launched today from
Kourou, French Guiana. Lift-off occurred at 4:02 p.m. Pacific Daylight
Time (PDT) aboard an Ariane 4 launch vehicle provided by Arianespace
of Evry, France. Initial contact with the satellite, called
acquisition of signal, was confirmed at 5:08 p.m. PDT from the
Lockheed Martin satellite tracking station in Uralla, Australia.
NSS-7 is a hybrid Ku- and C-band telecommunications satellite
providing fixed satellite services, including video distribution,
Internet access, corporate business networking and fixed services such
as telephony and data. Based on an enhanced version of Lockheed
Martin’s A2100AX satellite bus, this 72 transponder satellite will
operate at 338.5 degrees East longitude over the Atlantic Ocean,
providing coverage to Europe, Africa and the Americas where it will
replace the Lockheed Martin built NSS-K and NSS-803 satellites.
“We are extremely pleased with today’s successful launch of the
NSS-7 spacecraft, which will delivetionwide range of communications
services throughout Europe, Africa and the Americas,” said Ted
Gavrilis, president of Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems. “Our
team’s accomplishment represents a source of genuine pride for our
company, and it is a testimony to our long heritage of mission
success.”
NSS-7’s expansive coverage is achieved through 11 high-powered
beams, which are focused on key developed and emerging markets. The
extensive switching capability between beams and between frequency
bands offers enhanced connectivity between regions and makes it
possible to tailor capacity to match current Internet and video
traffic patterns in the Atlantic Ocean Region. NSS-7’s high downlink
power levels also will enable the use of smaller, more efficient
receive systems for the delivery of Internet and data services. NSS-7
was designed and built by LMCSS for New Skies Satellites N.V.
Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems markets, designs and
builds geostationary and non-geostationary telecommunications and
remote sensing satellites for customers worldwide. LMCSS is an
operating unit of Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, one of the
core business areas of the Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT – news).
Lockheed Martin has a 41-year heritage of building reliable spacecraft
for commercial and military customers, having launched more than 875
spacecraft and clocking nearly 1,500 years of on-orbit performance
experience.
For images of the NSS-7 satellite, please visit:
http://lmms.external.lmco.com/photos/commercial_space/ and click on
New Skies.
