From its final orbital location at 5 degrees East, Sirius 4 will provide distribution of direct-to-home broadcast and interactive services across Scandinavia, Europe and Africa following its scheduled launch in the first half of 2007. Contract terms were not disclosed.

Based on Lockheed Martin's award-winning A2100AX platform, Sirius 4 features 52 active Ku-band high-power and two active Ka-band transponders. Sirius 4 is expected to provide more than 15 years of service life.

Lockheed Martin is currently also building two satellites for SES Astra: Astra-1KR and Astra-1L, which are planned for launch in September 2005 and the fourth quarter of 2006, respectively.

"We are extremely gratified that yet another operator within the SES Global Group has turned to Lockheed Martin to provide a powerful, reliable satellite designed to fulfill all mission requirements," said Ted Gavrilis, president, Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems (LMCSS).

"By leveraging our experience on Astra-1KR/1L and other programs, we are able to provide our customer with confidence that Sirius 4 will be delivered on schedule while meeting the stringent quality requirements demanded of the industry and demonstrated by the A2100 platform."

Sirius 4 marks the first satellite order for LMCSS for 2005 and the first competitive contract awarded this year.

Last year, LMCSS was selected for a total of eight satellite awards, the most in the industry for 2004, including an order from JSAT Corp. for the JCSAT-10 satellite, an order from Rainbow DBS Company for five satellites designated Rainbow Ka-1 through Ka-5, and two orders to be announced at a later date.

"The procurement of the state-of-the-art Sirius 4 satellite with Lockheed Martin gives NSAB's existing customers long-term planning security and positions the company to capture new growth opportunities in emerging markets in Europe and the CIS," said Per Norman, General Manager of NSAB.

"With Sirius 4's African beam complementing existing or planned coverage of Africa within the SES Global fleet, the spacecraft is furthermore another example of fruitful synergies between SES Global Operating and Partner companies."

Lockheed Martin's series of A2100 geostationary spacecraft are designed to meet a wide variety of telecommunications needs ranging from high-power Ka, Ku and C-band fixed satellite and direct broadcast services to high power mobile satellite services using the L- and S-band frequency spectrum.

The heritage A2100's modular design features flight-proven equipment, thus simplifying construction, shortening delivery schedule, and increasing on-orbit reliability.

Recently, Lockheed Martin's A2100 telecommunications satellite series received an industry award for reliability for the second consecutive year.

Frost & Sullivan's 2004 Satellite Reliability Award was given to LMCSS for excellence in the production of flexible and reliable communications satellites used in geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO).

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