A team headed
by Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Sunnyvale has submitted a proposal
to the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite
System (NPOESS) Integrated Program Office (IPO) to design, build and
orbit NPOESS. The IPO is comprised of officials from the Commerce
Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
the Department of Defense (DoD), and the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA). The Lockheed Martin team was awarded one
of two program definition contracts in December 1999.

“We look forward to working with the IPO in designing and building
an NPOESS system which delivers the required environmental data to the
user communities,” said Al Smith, executive vice president of Lockheed
Martin Space Systems Company. “Our long heritage of building and
integrating polar-orbiting weather satellites will serve us well in
moving this very important mission from drawing board to orbit. In
addition, our commitment to management innovation and process
improvement will help to chart a successful and low-risk course for
NPOESS in a life-cycle cost-constrained environment.”

The Lockheed Martin team members include Harris Corp., Boeing,
Atmospheric and Environmental Research, Inc., Integral Systems Inc.,
and Remote Sensing Systems, and Lockheed Martin Management and Data
Systems. The team brings together industry leaders in space-based
environmental monitoring, ground systems, weather algorithms, space
communications and mission operations — and the first team of
engineers to earn the industry’s highest certification in both
software and systems engineering.

The proposal submitted today was based on extensive engineering
and analysis conducted by the Lockheed Martin team during the Program
Definition and Risk Reduction phase, and lays an excellent foundation
from which to transition to final design, development and production
of the NPOESS system. In their proposal to the IPO, the team has
demonstrated and validated critical architectural design issues,
including risk reduction, and has conducted Cost As an Independent
Variable (CAIV) trades to ensure the best value NPOESS architecture
solution.

NPOESS will merge the United States civil and military operational
meteorological satellite systems into a single system that will
satisfy both civil and national security requirements for space-based,
remotely-sensed environmental data. It will provide civilian leaders
and military commanders timely, high quality meteorological and
environmental data to help protect national resources and effectively
employ weapons systems.

The U.S. government has traditionally maintained two operational
weather satellite systems, each with a 30-year plus heritage of
successful service. The NOAA Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental
Satellite (POES) program began with the launch of the first TIROS
satellite in 1960. The DoD’s Defense Meteorological Satellite Program
(DMSP) was initiated shortly thereafter. Lockheed Martin Space Systems
and its heritage companies have built all of the satellites for both
programs since their inception.

In 1993, influenced by increased congressional interest and
following recommendations contained in the National Performance
Review, NOAA, DoD and NASA began studying how to converge the two
systems. The completed study revealed that a converged system could
reduce duplication and bureaucracy, substantially reduce costs, and
satisfy both civil and military requirements for operational,
space-based, remotely-sensed environmental data. A robust NPOESS
program is the result.

As part of the NPOESS contract, the system contractor will support
the IPO and NASA in the implementation of NASA’s NPOESS Preparatory
Project mission (NPP). The purpose of NPP is to provide first flight
for three of the major instruments now being developed for NPOESS. The
NPOESS contractor will be responsible for supplying the NPP satellite
command, control, and communications, as well as instrument data
processing, and evaluation of instrument performance. In addition, the
NPOESS contractor will be responsible for delivering two of the three
instruments for the NPP mission, the Visible Infrared Imaging
Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) and the Cross Track Infrared Sounder (CrIS).

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company is one of the major
operating units of Lockheed Martin Corp. Space Systems designs,
develops, tests, manufactures, and operates a variety of advanced
technology systems for military, civil and commercial customers. Chief
products include a full-range of space launch systems, including
heavy-lift capability, ground systems, remote sensing and
communications satellites for commercial and government customers,
advanced space observatories and interplanetary spacecraft, fleet
ballistic missiles and missile defense systems.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global
enterprise principally engaged in the research, design, development,
manufacture, and integration of advanced-technology systems, products,
and services. The Corporation’s core businesses are systems
integration, space, aeronautics, and technology services. Employing
more than 125,000 people worldwide, Lockheed Martin had 2001 sales
surpassing $24 billion.

For more information about Lockheed Martin Space Systems, see our
website at http://lmms.external.lmco.com.