B-SAT Awards Lockheed
Martin Contract For BSAT-3b Satellite
(15 April 2008) Lockheed Martin has
been awarded a contract by the Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation
(B-SAT) of Japan to build its next geostationary telecommunications
satellite.
Designated BSAT-3b, the satellite will provide
high-definition (HD) direct broadcast services throughout Japan following its
scheduled launch the third quarter of 2010 aboard an Arianespace launch
vehicle.
BSAT-3b will be the second consecutive satellite order B-SAT
has awarded to Lockheed Martin. Lockheed Martin successfully built and launched
BSAT-3a in August 2007. BSAT-3b will comprise 12 130 W Ku-band channels (8
operating at one time) and will be located at 110 degrees East longitude. With
a design life of 15 years, BSAT-3b is based on the A2100A platform manufactured
by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems (LMCSS), Newtown, Pa. BSAT-3b also
marks the 13th Lockheed Martin satellite ordered in the 1- to 4-kW class
satellite range.
"The Lockheed Martin team is extremely gratified by the
continuing support of B-SAT," said LMCSS Vice President and General Manager
Marshall Byrd. "This contract award for the design and construction of BSAT-3b
reaffirms our solid relationship with our valued customer, B-SAT. The A2100
team is dedicated and focused on producing a highly reliable spacecraft for
B-SAT."
"We have been very pleased with the performance of the BSAT-3a
spacecraft, and are pleased to once again procure another highly reliable
spacecraft from LMCSS," said B-SAT President & CEO Kazuo Takenaka. "We
believe that the LMCSS team will provide us with the same enthusiasm and
dedication for BSAT-3b that it showed us in the manufacture of BSAT-3a. It is
our strong expectation that BSAT-3b will be a perfect satellite at handover,
and that it will fully perform its mission throughout its design
life."
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 design accommodates a large range of
payloads. This design modularity enables the A2100 spacecraft to be configured
for a wide variety of missions in addition to communication. The A2100 serves
as the platform for critical Lockheed Martin government communications programs
such as the Advanced Extremely High Frequency program and Mobile User Objective
System.
The A2100 platform design has been adapted for geostationary
earth orbit (GEO)-based earth observing missions and is currently baselined for
Lockheed Martin's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite Series-R
(GOES-R) proposal. The A2100 platform also is the foundation for Lockheed
Martin's Transformational Satellite Communications System (TSAT) offering for
the U.S. Government.
About B-SAT
B-SAT is a unique operator of
broadcasting satellites in 12GHz BSS band in Japan. The company was established
in April 1993 and is located in Tokyo, Japan. Since then, B-SAT has worked
toward providing stable satellite operations and continuity of broadcast
services. B-SAT currently owns and manages five satellites, BSAT-1a and-1b for
analogue services, BSAT-2a and -2c for digital services and BSAT-3a for both
analogue and digital services.
About Lockheed Martin
Lockheed
Martin Commercial Space Systems is a unit of Lockheed Martin Space Systems
Company. Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, a major operating unit of
Lockheed Martin Corporation, 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; fleet ballistic missiles; and missile
defence systems.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs
about 140,000 people world-wide 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 US$ 41.9 billion.
(source: Lockheed Martin)