The AMC 16 telecommunications satellite, designed and built by Lockheed Martin for SES AMERICOM of Princeton, NJ, is ready for launch Dec. 17, 2004 from Cape Canaveral, Fla. aboard an Atlas 5 launch vehicle provided by International Launch Services (ILS), a Lockheed Martin joint venture.

An artist's concept shows an AMERICOM satellite in orbit. Credit: Lockheed Martin

AMC 16 is the 26th of Lockheed Martin's A2100 series of spacecraft delivered to satellite operators around the world and the 12th A2100 delivered to SES AMERICOM. A hybrid satellite, AMC 16 will operate from 85 degrees west and will feature the second operating Ka-band payload in the SES AMERICOM fleet, with 12 Ka-band spot-beams and 24-36Mhz transponders of Ku-band capacity for both fixed satellite service (FSS) or direct broadcast service (DBS) use. 

AMC 16 is the last of four Lockheed Martin-built satellites ILS is launching in 2004 to expand SES AMERICOM's world-wide fleet of satellites, which provide global distribution of cable, broadcast television and radio programming, mobile communications, business television, broadband data and telecommunications services. AMC 10 and AMC 11 were successfully launched on Atlas 2AS vehicles from Cape Canaveral in February and May 2004, and AMC 15, which features the first operating Ka-band payload in the SES AMERICOM fleet, was successfully launched in October aboard an ILS Proton vehicle from Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

The Lockheed Martin A2100 geosynchronous spacecraft series is designed to meet a wide variety of commercial and government telecommunications needs ranging from Ka-band/broadband services and fixed satellite services in C-band and Ku-band payload configurations, to high-power direct broadcast services using the Ku-band frequency spectrum and S-band mobile satellite services. The A2100's modular design features a reduction in parts, simplified construction, increased on-orbit reliability and reduced weight and cost.

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 Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems (LMCSS) for excellence in the production of flexible and reliable communications satellites used in geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO). Frost and Sullivan concluded that for the majority of satellite services, the A2100 had the lowest rate of anomalies and is the most reliable commercial satellite bus currently available.

About SES AMERICOM
The largest supplier of satellite services in the U.S., SES AMERICOM, Inc. is recognized as a pioneer of global satellite communications services for media, enterprise and government. Established in 1973 with its first satellite circuit for the U.S. Department of Defense, the company currently operates a fleet of 16 spacecraft in orbital positions predominantly providing service throughout the Americas. As a member of the SES GLOBAL family (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchanges: SESG), SES AMERICOM is able to provide bandwidth for media content distribution and end-to-end telecommunications solutions to any region in the world. In 2001, the company established AMERICOM Government Services, a wholly owned subsidiary dedicated to providing satellite-based communications solutions to both civilian and defense agencies of the U.S. government. In 2003, SES AMERICOM formed WORLDSAT to market its international satellites covering Asia, and the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean regions, and connecting premier regional satellite fleets. With its combined operations, SES AMERICOM serves broadcasters, cable programmers, aeronautical and maritime communications integrators, Internet service providers, mobile communications networks, government agencies, educational institutions, carriers and secure global data networks with efficient communication and content distribution solutions.

About International Launch Services (ILS)
ILS is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center of Russia. ILS markets and manages government and commercial missions to customers worldwide and is headquartered in McLean, Va., near Washington, D.C. The Atlas rockets and their Centaur upper stages are built by Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co. in Denver, Colo.; Harlingen, Texas; and San Diego, Calif. 

ILS has established itself as the indisputable launch services leader by offering the industry's two best launch systems: Atlas and Proton. With a remarkable launch rate of 68 missions since 2000, the Atlas and Proton launch vehicles have consistently demonstrated the reliability and flexibility that have made them the vehicles of choice. Since the beginning of 2003, ILS has signed more new commercial contracts than all its competitors combined.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 130,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation reported 2003 sales of $31.8 billion.