News Archive
Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services Selected to Launch Geoeye-2 Earth-Imaging Satellite on Atlas V Rocket
Denver, Colo., (Sept. 7, 2010) - Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Lockheed Martin Corporation [NYSE: LMT], announced today that it has been selected by GeoEye, Inc. (NASDAQ: GEOY) to launch the company's next-generation, high-resolution Earth-imaging satellite, GeoEye-2, on an United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. Financial terms are not being disclosed at this time.
Jack Zivic, general manager of Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services, said, "We appreciate GeoEye's recognition of the overall value of the Atlas launch services solution. Our commitment to the accuracy and timeliness of the delivery and our dedication to the criticality of the mission match the needs and expectations of GeoEye and its customers."
The 4,600-pound GeoEye-2 satellite will be ready for launch in late 2012 and will be operational in early 2013. It will be launched into a sun-synchronous orbit from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. "The Atlas offers significant lift capability to this type of orbit," said Zivic. "We are currently soliciting interest from other satellite operators who need to place their satellites in a similar orbit."
GeoEye, a key provider of satellite imagery and geospatial information, announced last month winning a 10-year, $3.8-billion contract award from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) for increased commercial satellite-imaging capacity. The competitively awarded contract supports the NGA's EnhancedView program, which provides products and services that help meet the increasing geospatial needs of the intelligence community and the Department of Defense. In March 2010, GeoEye selected Lockheed Martin to build the GeoEye-2 spacecraft. When operational, it will be the world's highest resolution and most accurate commercial Earth-imaging satellite.
Bill Schuster, GeoEye's chief operating officer, commented, "We chose Lockheed Martin to build and now launch GeoEye-2 because of its 50-year heritage in designing, manufacturing and launching payloads into the perfect orbit."
Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company designed, built and launched the world's first commercial, high-resolution, Earth-imaging satellite, IKONOS, which has been providing 0.82-meter ground resolution imagery to GeoEye's customers around the globe for more than a decade.
Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services, which markets the Atlas V to commercial customers worldwide, is a unit of Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, a major operating unit of Lockheed Martin Corporation. Space Systems Company 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; ballistic missiles; missile defense systems; and nanotechnology research and development.
About GeoEye
GeoEye, Inc. is a leading international information services company serving government and commercial markets. The Company is recognized as one of the geospatial industry's imagery experts, delivering exceptional quality imagery products, services and solutions to customers around the world. Headquartered in Dulles, Virginia, the Company has over 500 employees dedicated to developing best-in-class geospatial information products and services. GeoEye is a public company listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange under the symbol GEOY. The Company provides support to academic institutions and non-governmental organizations through the GeoEye Foundation (www.geoeyefoundation.org). Additional information about GeoEye is available at www.geoeye.com.
About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 136,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation's 2009 sales from continuing operations were $44.5 billion.
For more information on ULA, visit the ULA website at www.ulalaunch.com, or call the ULA Launch Hotline at 1-877-ULA-4321 (852-4321). Join the conversation at www.facebook.com/ulalaunch and twitter.com/ulalaunch.
Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services Selected to Launch Geoeye-2 Earth-Imaging Satellite on Atlas V Rocket
Denver, Colo., (Sept. 7, 2010) - Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Lockheed Martin Corporation [NYSE: LMT], announced today that it has been selected by GeoEye, Inc. (NASDAQ: GEOY) to launch the company's next-generation, high-resolution Earth-imaging satellite, GeoEye-2, on an United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. Financial terms are not being disclosed at this time.
Jack Zivic, general manager of Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services, said, "We appreciate GeoEye's recognition of the overall value of the Atlas launch services solution. Our commitment to the accuracy and timeliness of the delivery and our dedication to the criticality of the mission match the needs and expectations of GeoEye and its customers."
The 4,600-pound GeoEye-2 satellite will be ready for launch in late 2012 and will be operational in early 2013. It will be launched into a sun-synchronous orbit from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. "The Atlas offers significant lift capability to this type of orbit," said Zivic. "We are currently soliciting interest from other satellite operators who need to place their satellites in a similar orbit."
GeoEye, a key provider of satellite imagery and geospatial information, announced last month winning a 10-year, $3.8-billion contract award from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) for increased commercial satellite-imaging capacity. The competitively awarded contract supports the NGA's EnhancedView program, which provides products and services that help meet the increasing geospatial needs of the intelligence community and the Department of Defense. In March 2010, GeoEye selected Lockheed Martin to build the GeoEye-2 spacecraft. When operational, it will be the world's highest resolution and most accurate commercial Earth-imaging satellite.
Bill Schuster, GeoEye's chief operating officer, commented, "We chose Lockheed Martin to build and now launch GeoEye-2 because of its 50-year heritage in designing, manufacturing and launching payloads into the perfect orbit."
Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company designed, built and launched the world's first commercial, high-resolution, Earth-imaging satellite, IKONOS, which has been providing 0.82-meter ground resolution imagery to GeoEye's customers around the globe for more than a decade.
Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services, which markets the Atlas V to commercial customers worldwide, is a unit of Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, a major operating unit of Lockheed Martin Corporation. Space Systems Company 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; ballistic missiles; missile defense systems; and nanotechnology research and development.
About GeoEye
GeoEye, Inc. is a leading international information services company serving government and commercial markets. The Company is recognized as one of the geospatial industry's imagery experts, delivering exceptional quality imagery products, services and solutions to customers around the world. Headquartered in Dulles, Virginia, the Company has over 500 employees dedicated to developing best-in-class geospatial information products and services. GeoEye is a public company listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange under the symbol GEOY. The Company provides support to academic institutions and non-governmental organizations through the GeoEye Foundation (www.geoeyefoundation.org). Additional information about GeoEye is available at www.geoeye.com.
About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 136,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation's 2009 sales from continuing operations were $44.5 billion.
For more information on ULA, visit the ULA website at www.ulalaunch.com, or call the ULA Launch Hotline at 1-877-ULA-4321 (852-4321). Join the conversation at www.facebook.com/ulalaunch and twitter.com/ulalaunch.