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3825 Fabian Way
Palo Alto, CA 94303-4604
Space Systems/Loral Announces Completion
of Award-Winning GOES Weather Satellite Program
Satellites Built for National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration Provided Numerous Meteorological Breakthroughs,
Continue to Outperform Life Expectancy
Palo Alto,
Calif. - February
13, 2007- Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), one of the world's leading
satellite manufacturing and technology companies, today announced that
it has recently completed satellite support operations for the award-winning
Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) program, bringing
SS/L's successful satellite program that provided five advanced weather
satellites and on-orbit services to the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to conclusion. Space
Systems/Loral is a subsidiary of Loral Space & Communications (NASDAQ:
LORL).
The Geostationary Operational
Environmental Satellites (GOES) I through M, which were built
under contract to NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and launched between
1994 and 2001, have collectively outperformed their life expectancy
by more than 55 percent, with two of the satellites still providing
critical meteorological monitoring functions.
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.
"SS/L made a significant contribution to the
international meteorological community with the GOES I-M program,"
said Martin A. Davis, NASA GOES program manager at the Goddard Space
Flight Center. "The SS/L-built satellites continue to be a critical
component to our National Weather Service operations and their longevity
has given us additional leeway in our schedule to deploy next-generation
systems."
Satellite Longevity
Two of the five
satellites were launched in 1994 and 1995 and provided 24-hour monitoring
and measurement of dynamic weather events in real time. A third, launched
in 1997, served as backup and provided added coverage of severe weather.
A fourth, GOES-L, was launched in 2000, and the last in the series, GOES-M,
was launched in 2001. As a demonstration of the reliability and robust
design of the SS/L-built GOES satellites, GOES-11 (named GOES-L before
launch) was put into service in May 2006 after being stored on the ground
for two years and stored on-orbit for six years.
Breakthrough Technology
SS/L partnered
with ITT Space Systems Division to develop the GOES weather imaging and
sounding systems, which were significantly improved over previous systems.
During satellite operations, the imager and sounder in each satellite
collect high-resolution visible and infrared images, as well as temperature
and moisture profiles of the atmosphere. The satellites transmit data
to ground terminals, which rebroadcast the information to primary weather
services both in the United States and the western hemisphere.
SS/L provided many breakthroughs in meteorological data collection with
the GOES I-M program, including the following:
- First 3-axis stabilized GOES series
providing continuous Earth imaging
- Higher and more accurate image quality
- Ability to distinguish ice and water
clouds during daylight
- Accurate delineation of clouds above
12,000 feet
- First ever monitoring of total ozone
from geosynchronous orbit
- First GOES Solar X-Ray Imager on
GOES-12
Award-Winning Program
Throughout the
course of the GOES I-M program, SS/L received numerous awards, including
an award for outstanding service from the America Meteorological Society
and the Goddard Contractor Excellence Award in 1996.
"In overcoming some initial technical and programmatic problems, Space
Systems/Loral distinguished itself in meeting our requirements for outstanding
quality, innovation and service," said Gary Davis, director of the NOAA
NESDIS Office of Systems Development. "With 39 on-orbit years already
achieved, we project that the satellites will provide about twice as
many years of service as was originally contracted."
After GOES-10 completed its mission over the U.S. in October 2006, NOAA
repositioned the satellite, as part of the Global Earth Observation System
of Systems (GEOSS), to cover South America in order to strengthen the
World Meteorological Organization's World Weather Watch Global Observing
System.
About SS/L
Space Systems/Loral is a
premier designer, manufacturer, and integrator of powerful satellites
and satellite systems. SS/L also provides a range of related services
that include mission control operations and procurement of launch services.
Based in Palo Alto , Calif. , the company has an international base of
commercial and governmental customers whose applications include broadband
digital communications, direct-to-home broadcast, defense communications,
environmental monitoring, mobile satellite services, and air traffic
control. SS/L satellites have amassed more than 1,300 years of reliable
on-orbit service. SS/L is ISO 9001:2000 and AS9100 certified. For more
information, visit www.ssloral.com.
Loral Space & Communications
is a satellite communications company. In addition to Space Systems/Loral,
through its Skynet subsidiary Loral owns and operates a fleet of telecommunications
satellites used to broadcast video entertainment programming, and for
broadband data transmission, Internet services and other value-added
communications services. For more information, visit Loral's web site
at www.loral.com.
# # #
This document contains forward-looking
statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, as amended. In addition, Loral Space & Communications Inc. or its representatives have made
or may make forward-looking statements, orally or in writing, which may
be included in, but are not limited to, various filings made from time
to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, press releases or
oral statements made with the approval of an authorized executive officer
of the company. Actual results could differ materially from those projected
or suggested in any forward-looking statements as a result of a wide
variety of factors and conditions. Many of these factors and conditions
are described under the caption "Risk Factors" in each of the
company's annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December
31, 2005 and its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q for subsequent periods.
The reader is specifically referred to these documents, as well as the
company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Investor Contact: John McCarthy
Loral Space & Communications
(212) 338-5345
Media Contact: Wendy Lewis
Space Systems/Loral
(650) 852-5188
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