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Lockheed to sell its interests in ILS partnership LOCKHEED MARTIN NEWS RELEASE Posted: September 7, 2006 Lockheed Martin announced today the proposed sale of its ownership interests in Lockheed Khrunichev Energia International, Inc. (LKEI) and ILS International Launch Services, Inc. (ILS) to Space Transport Inc. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. LKEI was formed as a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and two Russian companies, Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center ("Khrunichev") and S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia, to sell Proton launch services to commercial customers around the world. LKEI under the brand ILS currently provides sales, marketing and mission management support for launches of both the Lockheed Martin-built Atlas and Khrunichev-built Proton and Angara rockets to commercial customers. To date, ILS has launched 37 commercial Protons and has a backlog for 11 additional launches. Following the sale, ILS, which will no longer be affiliated with Lockheed Martin, will continue to market the Krunichev-built Proton and Angara launch vehicles to commercial clients and expects to provide all the same sales, contracting, licensing, mission management and customer support services. Lockheed Martin will retain all rights related to the commercial Atlas vehicle and will continue to offer commercial Atlas launch services through its subsidiary, Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services. Consummation of the proposed transaction remains subject to completion of regulatory review and other closing conditions. Completion of the transaction is expected to occur in the fourth quarter of 2006 and is not expected to have a material effect on Lockheed Martin?s ongoing financial condition, results of operations or cash flow. ILS is based in McLean, Va., a suburb of Washington, D.C., and is expected to continue operations from that location. Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 135,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2005 sales of $37.2 billion. |
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The Hubble Space Telescope has become astronomy's crown jewel for knowledge and discovery. The great observatory was placed high above Earth following its launch aboard space shuttle Discovery on April 24, 1990. The astronauts of STS-31 recount their mission in this post-flight film presentation.
Space shuttle Atlantis is delivered to Kennedy Space Center's launch pad 39B on August 2 to begin final preparations for blastoff on the STS-115 mission to resume construction of the International Space Station.
Just after 1 a.m. local time August 2, the crawler-transporter began the slow move out of the Vehicle Assembly Building carrying space shuttle Atlantis toward the launch pad.
Astronauts Jeff Williams and Thomas Reiter will conduct a U.S.-based spacewalk outside the International Space Station on August 3. To preview the EVA and the tasks to be accomplished during the excursion, station managers held this press conference from Johnson Space Center in Houston.