The SIRIUS 4 communications satellite, designed and built by Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) for SES SIRIUS, an SES company (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG), was successfully launched today from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Liftoff occurred at 4:39 a.m. (5:39 p.m. EST on Nov. 17) aboard a Proton/Breeze M launch vehicle provided by International Launch Services (ILS). Initial contact with the satellite was confirmed at 3:58 a.m. EST from the Lockheed Martin satellite tracking station in Uralla, Australia.
Built by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems (LMCSS), Newtown, Pa., SIRIUS 4 marks the 35th A2100 spacecraft designed and built by Lockheed Martin. The spacecraft will be located at orbital location 5 degrees East and is expected to provide more than 15 years of service.
Based on Lockheed Martin’s A2100AX platform, SIRIUS 4 will provide distribution of direct-to-home broadcast and interactive services across Scandinavia, Europe and Africa. SIRIUS 4 features 46 active Ku-band high-power transponders in the BSS and FSS frequency band. In addition, it is equipped with an active Ka-band transponder for interactive applications in the Nordic and Baltic regions. The spacecraft is equipped with a sub-Sahara African beam to complement existing coverage of Africa, which is accomplished using six additional active Ku-band FSS transponders. Additionally, there is an interconnect payload that connects Africa and Europe with a second Ka-band transponder.
“SIRIUS 4 is the 16th Lockheed Martin-built A2100 series spacecraft designed, built and launched for SES companies,” said LMCSS Vice-President and General Manager Marshall Byrd. “This is a testament to the long term commitment to mission success and the tremendous teamwork of SES and Lockheed Martin. Congratulations to all on a great job.”
Lockheed Martin is currently building AMC-14 for SES AMERICOM, which is scheduled to be launched in the first quarter of 2008. Lockheed Martin successfully launched ASTRA-1L this year for SES ASTRA. “We are very proud and satisfied that the SIRIUS 4 mission has been a success,” said Hakan Sjodin, Managing Director of SES SIRIUS. “SIRIUS 4 will benefit our customers and extend our coverage and service in Eastern Europe. The success of the SIRIUS 4 mission is a milestone in our company’s history, and we would like to underline the very good cooperation with our launch partners, International Launch Services and Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems.”
The Lockheed Martin A2100 geosynchronous spacecraft series is designed to meet a wide variety of telecommunications needs including Ka-band broadband and broadcast services, fixed satellite services in C-band and Ku-band, high- power direct broadcast services using the Ku-band frequency spectrum and mobile satellite services using UHF, L-band, and S-band payloads. The A2100’s modular design features a reduction in parts, simplified construction, increased on-orbit reliability and reduced weight and cost.
The A2100 spacecraft’s design accommodates a large range of communication payloads. This design modularity also enables the A2100 spacecraft to be configured for missions other than communication. The A2100 design is currently being adapted for geostationary earth orbit (GEO)-based earth observing missions and is currently the baselined platform for Lockheed Martin’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite Series-R (GOES-R) proposal. The A2100 also serves as the platform for critical government communications programs including Advanced Extremely High Frequency and Mobile User Objective System and is the foundation for Lockheed Martin’s Transformational Satellite Communications System (TSAT) offering.
About SES SIRIUS AB
SES SIRIUS AB owns and operates the SIRIUS satellite system (SIRIUS 2 and 3). SIRIUS is a leading satellite system in the Nordic countries, the Baltic States and Central and Eastern Europe. It offers cost-effective solutions for TV and radio broadcasts and broadband services in these regions. The SIRIUS satellites are positioned at 5 degrees East and offer reliable communication links across Europe.
SES SIRIUS AB is 75-percent owned by SES ASTRA, one of the world’s leading satellite operators and 25-percent by the state-owned company Swedish Space Corporation.
About Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems is a unit of Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, a major operating unit of Lockheed Martin Corporation, designs, develops, tests, manufactures and operates a full spectrum of advanced-technology systems for national security, civil and commercial customers. Chief products include human space flight systems; a full range of remote sensing, navigation, meteorological and communications satellites and instruments; space observatories and interplanetary spacecraft; laser radar; fleet ballistic missiles; and missile defense systems.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2006 sales of $39.6 billion.
Media Contact: Dee Valleras, 215-497-4185; e-mail, dee.valleras@lmco.com
