Lockheed Martin-Built JCSAT-12 Satellite Ready To Be Launched For SKY Perfect JSAT

NEWTOWN, Pa., August 18th, 2009 -- The JCSAT-12 communications satellite, designed and built by Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] for SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation (SKY Perfect JSAT) of Japan, is ready for its scheduled launch on Aug. 21 aboard an Ariane 5-ECA launch vehicle provided by Arianespace. The launch window opens at 6:09 p.m. EDT and closes at 7:09 p.m. EDT.

JCSAT-12 is a high-power hybrid satellite consisting of 30 active Ku-band transponders and 12 active C-band transponders that will provide broadcast and broadband services to Japan, the Asia-Pacific region and Hawaii. JCSAT-12 is designed for a minimum service life of 15 years and will serve as a back up satellite for other SKY Perfect satellites following its scheduled launch.

JCSAT-12 marks the 38th A2100 spacecraft designed and built by Lockheed Martin and the fifth delivered to SKY Perfect JSAT. Lockheed Martin delivered JCSAT-9 through JCSAT-11 and N-SAT-110 and is currently manufacturing JCSAT-110R, which is scheduled to launch in 2011, and JCSAT-13, which is scheduled to be delivered in 2011 with a launch date to be announced at a later time.

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 has been adapted for geostationary earth orbit (GEO)-based earth observing missions and is the baselined platform for Lockheed Martin’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite Series-R (GOES-R). In addition, the A2100 serves as the platform for critical government communications programs including the Advanced Extremely High Frequency and Mobile User Objective System. The A2100 also serves as the spacecraft platform for Lockheed Martin’s GPS III program.