PALO ALTO, Calif., Jan. 13, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), a subsidiary of Loral Space & Communications (Nasdaq:LORL) and the leading provider of commercial satellites, today announced that a satellite that it built for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), was retired after serving the organization for 12 years, more than twice its required mission life. Originally planned for a 5-year mission, the satellite, called GOES-10, was used to track storms, hurricanes, and cyclones from 1997 until just a few months ago.
GOES-10 was one of five advanced weather satellites that were provided by SS/L as part of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) I-M program, built under contract to NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and launched between 1994 and 2001. Last month NOAA raised GOES-10 approximately 300 km above its functional orbit by firing its thrusters one last time.
"The longevity of the SS/L-built weather satellites has helped provide the flexibility that we have needed in replacing the current fleet," said Martin A. Davis, NASA GOES program manager at the Goddard Space Flight Center. "With more than 52 on-orbit years already achieved, we project that the satellites will provide more than twice as many years of service as was originally contracted."
To date, the GOES satellites provided by SS/L have collectively outperformed their life expectancy by more than 25 years, with two of the satellites still providing continuous monitoring and measurement of weather events.
In fulfilling the NASA contract, SS/L provided significant improvements over the previous GOES system in both weather imagery and atmospheric sounding information, allowing for improved weather services, including the forecasting of hurricanes and other severe storms that threaten life or property. Supporting the U.S. weather monitoring and forecast operations, the GOES satellites are a key component of NOAA's National Weather Service operations.
"We are very pleased that GOES-10 was able to meet NOAA's needs for so many years after its required mission life," said John Celli, president of Space Systems/Loral. "Our commercial customers' businesses depend on the long-term reliability of their satellites, so, for us, mission assurance is always top priority. As a result, our satellites regularly provide service well past their intended lifespans."
With the de-orbiting of GOES-10, 59 SS/L-built geostationary satellites are currently providing services around the world.
About Space Systems/Loral
Based in Palo Alto, California, SS/L designs and builds satellites and spacecraft systems for commercial and government customers around the world. As the leading provider of commercial satellites, the company works closely with satellite operators to deliver spacecraft for a broad range of services including direct-to-home television, digital audio radio, broadband Internet, and digital multimedia broadcasting. With more active transponders on three-axis controlled spacecraft than any other satellite manufacturer, SS/L helps customers meet business objectives with advanced solutions based on space-proven heritage designs. For more information, visit www.ssloral.com.
About Loral Space & Communications
Loral Space & Communications is a satellite communications company. Through its Space Systems/Loral subsidiary, the company is a world-class leader in the design and manufacture of satellites and satellite systems for commercial and government applications including direct-to-home television, broadband communications, wireless telephony, weather monitoring, and air traffic management. Loral also owns 64 percent of Telesat, one of the world's largest providers of satellite services. Telesat operates a fleet of telecommunications satellites used to broadcast video entertainment programming, distribute direct-to-home video and broadband data services, and other value-added communications services. For more information, visit Loral's Web site at www.loral.com. LORL-G
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