Lockheed Martin is completing final preparations for Monday's launch of a commercial telecommunications satellite aboard an Atlas V booster provided by United Launch Alliance. The launch window opens at 4:12 p.m. EDT Monday and extends until 5:12 p.m. The launch can be viewed live at www.ulalaunch.com beginning at 3:51 p.m. EDT.
Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services is under contract to ICO Global Communications (Holdings) Limited (NASDAQ: ICOG) to place the ICO G1 spacecraft into orbit. The spacecraft was built by Space Systems/Loral. The spacecraft will deliver advanced nationwide mobile interactive media services to portable and handheld devices.'This is a vitally important launch to ICO and we're proud to have been selected as the launch services partner,' said David Markham, president of Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services. 'This launch also will demonstrate the flexibility of the Atlas program that can be applied to the commercial market as we continue to seek one to two commercial customers per year.' The ICO G1 satellite is over 27 feet tall, features a 12-meter unfurlable mesh S-band reflector, provides 16 kilowatts of power with solar arrays that span over 100 feet when deployed, and weighs in at approximately 6,634 kg fueled, making it the heaviest satellite ever launched aboard an Atlas V booster. The spacecraft will be located at 92.85 degrees west, providing ubiquitous coverage over the United States.
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