U.S. Air Force and Lockheed Martin Deliver Nation's Next Infrared Surveillance Satellite

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SUNNYVALE, Calif., Jan. 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Air Force and
Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] have delivered the second Geosynchronous Earth Orbit
(GEO-2) Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) spacecraft to Cape Canaveral Air
Force Station, Fla., where it will be prepared for a March liftoff aboard a
United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.

Featuring a mix of satellites in geosynchronous orbit, hosted payloads in highly
elliptical earth (HEO) orbit, and ground hardware and software, the SBIRS
program delivers resilient and improved missile warning capabilities for the
nation while also providing significant contributions to the military's missile
defense, technical intelligence and battlespace awareness mission areas.

On January 11, GEO-2 was safely transported from Lockheed Martin's Sunnyvale,
Calif., facility to nearby Moffet Air Field. The 60th Air Mobility Wing of
Travis Air Force Base, Calif., then loaded the satellite aboard a C-5 aircraft
and successfully shipped the spacecraft to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

"We performed a disciplined integration and test campaign for GEO-2 and are now
looking forward to successfully launching this spacecraft to ultimately help
protect our nation and allies with unprecedented global, persistent infrared
surveillance capabilities," said Jeff Smith, vice president of Lockheed
Martin's Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) mission area. "As we continue to
produce SBIRS assets, we expect to drive even greater efficiency into our
operations to reduce costs for the government while still ensuring mission
success."

Prior to launch, engineers will complete post shipment testing, fuel the
satellite's propulsion system and encapsulate the spacecraft inside the launch
vehicle's payload fairing. The fairing will then be mated on top of the Atlas V
launch vehicle for final integrated testing and closeout preparations for
launch. Approximately 24 hours before launch, the Atlas V/SBIRS GEO-2 vehicle
will roll to the launch pad for lift off.

Leveraging lessons learned from GEO-1, the SBIRS team was able to improve
efficiency in the assembly, integration and test of GEO-2. From GEO-1 to GEO-2,
the team reduced schedule time for similar activities by nearly 30 percent.

Lockheed Martin's SBIRS contracts include four HEO payloads, four GEO
satellites, and ground assets to receive, process, and disseminate the infrared
mission data. The team has also begun initial work on the fifth and sixth GEO
satellites. Two HEO payloads and GEO-1 have already launched into orbit.

The SBIRS team is led by the Infrared Space Systems Directorate at the U.S.
Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center. Lockheed Martin is the SBIRS prime
contractor, Northrop Grumman is the payload integrator. Air Force Space
Command operates the SBIRS system.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and
aerospace company that employs about 120,000 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 net sales for 2011 were $46.5 billion.

Video and Images of SBIRS can be found at:
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/products/SBIRS.html

Media Contact
Michael Friedman
michael.1.friedman@lmco.com
(303) 971-7255

SOURCE Lockheed Martin