Lockheed Martin-Built BSAT-3c/JCSAT-110R Satellite Handed Over to Japanese Customers

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Sep 26, 2011, 09:00 ET

NEWTOWN, Pa., Sept. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The BSAT-3c/JCSAT-110R broadcasting satellite, designed and built by Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) for the Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation (B-SAT) and SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation, is now ready for service following successful on-orbit deployment and checkout of all spacecraft systems. The satellite is located at orbital location 110 degrees east and will provide service for Japanese companies B-SAT and SKY Perfect JSAT, which jointly procured the satellite.

BSAT-3c/JCSAT-110R incorporates two independent Ku-band payloads with 12 direct broadcast channels and 12 fixed direct communication channels providing uplink and downlink coverage throughout Japan. BSAT-3c/JCSAT-110R is required to meet a 15-year service life and was designed entirely with flight-proven components integrated into the highly reliable A2100 platform.

B-SAT president Kazuo Takenaka commented, "BSAT-3c's successful delivery has secured stable BS digital broadcasting services in Japan for our risk management. BSAT-3c will form the 'backbone' of our business for the next decade along with BSAT-3a/3b."

SKY Perfect JSAT President Shinji Takada said, "We are pleased that JCSAT-110R is successfully handed over from Lockheed Martin to SKY Perfect JSAT. This satellite is a backup satellite of our N-SAT-110 which provides SKY PerfecTV! e2 service with currently more than 1.5 million subscribers in Japan, and is, therefore, very important for our company in the light of the risk aversion and social responsibility of our Multichannel Pay TV Business."

The BSAT-3c payload joins BSAT-3a and BSAT-3b to provide more than 120 million television sets in Japan with BS digital broadcasting programs. The JCSAT-110R payload will serve as a back-up for the 110 degrees east orbital position, continuing to provide highly reliable SKY PerfecTV! e2 service for its customers.

BSAT-3c/JCSAT-110R is the third consecutive satellite Lockheed Martin has delivered to B-SAT and the fifth consecutive satellite delivered to SKY Perfect JSAT. Lockheed Martin successfully delivered BSAT-3a and BSAT-3b in August 2007 and December 2010, respectively. Lockheed Martin is currently building JCSAT-13 and previously built JCSAT-9 through JCSAT-12 and JCSAT-110 for SKY Perfect JSAT.

"BSAT-3c/JCSAT-110R represents the 38th A2100 commercial communications satellite in the A2100 fleet," said Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems President Joseph Rickers. "We are extremely confident that we have delivered a satellite of superior quality to B-SAT and SKY Perfect JSAT, two of the leading satellite operators in Asia. BSAT-3c/JCSAT-110R, with its extensive A2100 heritage and proven design, will provide our customers with years of broadcasting and communications services."

The Lockheed Martin A2100 satellite series is designed to meet a wide variety of communications 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 and Ka-band frequency and mobile satellite services using UHF, L-band, and S-band. The A2100's modular design features simplified construction, increased on-orbit reliability and reduced weight and cost. The A2100 design accommodates a large range of communication payloads and serves as the platform for critical government communications programs, including the Advanced Extremely High Frequency and Mobile User Objective System satellites.

The A2100 can also be configured for missions other than communications. It has been adapted for Lockheed Martin's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite Series-R Earth observing mission and serves as the platform for Lockheed Martin's GPS III satellites.

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 four satellites: BSAT-3a/3b and BSAT-2a/2c, which are collocated at 110 degrees east to meet increasing demand for BS digital broadcasting services all over Japan. The number of BS digital broadcasting receivers is now over 110 million in Japan.

About SKY Perfect JSAT

SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation is a leader in the converging fields of broadcasting and communications. It is Asia's largest satellite operator with a fleet of 14 satellites, and Japan's only provider of both multi-channel pay TV broadcasting and satellite communications services. With 3.7 million subscribers, SKY Perfect JSAT delivers a broad range of entertainment through its SKY PerfecTV!, SKY PerfecTV! e2 and SKY PerfecTV! HIKARI platforms, the most extensive in Japan. In addition, through satellite communications service coverage that extends across Japan and the rest of Asia, Oceania, Hawaii and North America, the Company supports safety, security and convenience for society.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 126,000 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 2010 sales from continuing operations were $45.8 billion.

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SOURCE Lockheed Martin