Lockheed Martin-Built JCSAT-11 Satellite Ready For Launch From Baikonur Cosmodrome

NEWTOWN, Pa.- The JCSAT-11 communications satellite, designed and built by Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] for the JSAT Corporation (JSAT) of Japan, is ready for its scheduled launch on Sept. 6 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome aboard a Proton/Breeze M launch vehicle provided by International Launch Services.

JCSAT-11 is a high-power hybrid satellite consisting of 30 active Ku-band transponders and 12 active C-band transponders that will provide coverage to Japan, the Asia-Pacific region and Hawaii. JCSAT-11 is designed for a minimum service life of 15 years and will serve as a back up satellite for other JSAT satellites following its scheduled launch.

JCSAT-11 marks the 34th A2100 spacecraft designed and built by Lockheed Martin. JCSAT-11 is also the third consecutive satellite order that JSAT has contracted to Lockheed Martin. LMCSS successfully launched JCSAT-9 and JCSAT-10 in 2006, both also based on the A2100AX satellite platform.

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.