Browse > Home / Aeronautics News / New Military Communications System Progressing at Lockheed Martin

New Military Communications System Progressing at Lockheed Martin

Written by thomas · Filed Under Aeronautics News 

July 24, 2008

thomas

3rd AEHF Spacecraft Core Delivered Six Months Early

SUNNYVALE, Calif., July 24 /PRNewswire/ — Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT)
is progressing steadily on the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF)
military communications system, most recently delivering the core
propulsion module for the third space vehicle (SV-3) six months ahead of
the planned schedule. The U.S. Air Force’s AEHF system will provide global,
highly secure, protected, survivable communications for all warfighters
serving under the U.S. Department of Defense.

The AEHF core propulsion module contains the integrated propulsion
system as well as panels and other components that serve as the structural
foundation of the satellite. The AEHF propulsion system is essential for
maneuvering the satellite during transfer orbit to its final location as
well as conducting on-orbit repositioning maneuvers throughout its mission
life.

The integrated system was delivered to Lockheed Martin Space Systems
facilities in Sunnyvale, Calif. from the company’s Mississippi Space &
Technology Center, an advanced propulsion, thermal, and metrology facility
located at the John C. Stennis Space Center.

The successful delivery allows the team of Lockheed Martin Space
Systems, Sunnyvale, Calif., the AEHF prime contractor, and Northrop Grumman
Space Technology, Redondo Beach, Calif., the payload supplier, to prepare
for the SV-3 spacecraft and payload mate planned for early 2009, followed
by environmental and acceptance testing of the completed satellite in
preparation for launch in late 2010.

“Our team continues to make solid progress in the final assembly,
integration and test activities as we work expeditiously to deliver the
unprecedented communications capabilities that this essential program will
provide to our military,” said Leonard Kwiatkowski, Lockheed Martin vice
president and general manager of Global Communications Systems. “AEHF
represents a new era of global protected communications that will provide
significantly improved, assured connectivity for the warfighter and we look
forward to achieving mission success for our customer.”

The first AEHF space vehicle (SV-1) is currently in the midst of
thermal vacuum testing to verify spacecraft functionality and performance
in a vacuum environment where the satellite is stressed at the extreme hot
and cold temperatures it will experience in space. Following completion of
spacecraft thermal vacuum testing, the team will perform environmental test
data analysis and remaining integration and test activities necessary to
prepare the vehicle for flight.

The second AEHF spacecraft core structure and the payload module were
recently mated and the integrated space vehicle (SV-2) is now being readied
for the start of Baseline Integrated System Test (BIST). This extensive
test will characterize the performance of the integrated satellite and
established a performance baseline prior to entering environmental testing.

Based on Lockheed Martin’s flight-proven A2100 spacecraft series, one
AEHF satellite will provide greater total capacity than the entire Milstar
constellation currently on-orbit. Individual user data rates will be five
times improved. The higher data rates will permit transmission of tactical
military communications, such as real-time video, battlefield maps and
targeting data. In addition to its tactical mission, AEHF will also provide
the critical survivable, protected, and endurable communications to the
National Command Authority including presidential conferencing in all
levels of conflict.

Lockheed Martin is currently under contract to provide three Advanced
EHF satellites and the Mission Control Segment to its customer, the
Military Satellite Communications Systems Wing, located at the Space and
Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif. The program is
in the early stages of adding a fourth spacecraft to the planned
constellation.

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 2007
sales of $41.9 billion.

» Próximo Post - General Dynamics NASSCO Begins Construction of Third Product Carrier Ship
« Post Aneterior - Lockheed Martin Delivers F-16I Flight Systems Trainer to Israeli Air Force

Comments

¿Tiene algo que decir?

You must be logged in to post a comment.