Artist's concept of Orbital-built satellite. Photo: ORBITAL

NTT DoCoMo has awarded a contract to a Lockheed Martin-led team to build a geosynchronous satellite to serve the mobile communications market in Japan.

The contract was signed January 6 in Tokyo. The team is comprised of Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems (LMCSS) based in Sunnyvale, and Orbital Sciences Corporation, Dulles, Va. Lockheed Martin will serve as the prime contractor. In addition to the satellite, the team will provide a ground system and launch vehicle.

NTT Mobile Communications Network, Inc., called NTT DoCoMo, is one of Japan's leading wireless telecommunications service providers with more than 25 million subscribers. The company operates a digital cellular communications network covering nearly all of the populated areas of Japan. The vision of NTT DoCoMo is that every portable communications device should be wireless, and the company is focused on making that a reality.

"This satellite will help NTT DoCoMo further its vision of providing wireless service for a multitude of applications including mobile telephony, data transfer and safety of life maritime communications. NSTAR c will provide an improved signal to users, allowing better voice quality and smaller mobile phones for the Japanese users," said Peter L. Kujawski, president of Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems. "I am also happy to be working with Orbital Sciences Corporation, whose expertise in small satellites helped immensely in developing the winning proposal."

N-STAR c will operate in the S-band frequency band with a C-band feeder link. It will be located at either 132 or 136 degrees East and is planned for launch early in 2002. N-STAR c will be optimized for a 10-year life on-orbit, and will augment service provided by the company's existing satellites.

Lockheed Martin will supply the entire payload, which will be integrated onto the Orbital Sciences Corporation's Orbital STAR bus. The satellite will be assembled and integrated at the Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems facilities in Newtown, Pa.

The Newtown facilities have produced payloads that operate in all communication bands for the commercial, military and civil government markets. Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems markets, designs and builds geostationary and non-geostationary communications and remote sensing satellites for customers worldwide.

In addition, Commercial Space Systems offers turnkey space-based solutions including the spacecraft, ground systems, launch operations and on-orbit support. Commercial Space Systems is an operating unit of Lockheed Martin Missiles & Space, based in Sunnyvale.